Project 365: Day 354 - Mon, May 3rd, 2010

Got Motivation? ...

Today after school our PLT's provided us with some valuable information about homework, extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, Gifted and Talented pedagogy, wikis, online grading, and collaboration. All my fabulous AVID Site Team members ran the show! Marshand rocked the intrinsic motivation group, Parker lead my GT team on Gifted and Talented pedagogy, and Cathirell was the cheerleader behind the Collaboration clan.

I really and truly wish that I felt like I had more time in the day to take in all the hard work and valuable insights that were evident, but seeing as how I didn't leave school until 10:30 pm getting ready for this God awful yearly AVID Certification meeting taking place tomorrow, I didn't really have a minute to spare today. Even with the tremendous amount of time and energy Katie has devoted to helping me, the task is beyond overwhelming and daunting. It's like going for National Boards every May. Why, I ask, does this have to happen every year? I mean can't a hard-workin' sister catch a break? At least this year there weren't any tears ... I think it was the first year I had to do it alone that I cried four or five different times out of sheer misery. Someone should write a book about it - maybe I will ... I would call it the 5 G's - how to gain, gather and group the gargantuan amount of garbage needed to prove every student and teacher involved with the NTHS AVID program is working their tail off!

We've come a long way - it will be interesting to see when we hit a plateau. This year was certainly an apex. I just don't think next year's group has the same amount of drive and determination. I hope they prove me wrong. But then again - it would be nice to say that the one class I taught for all 4 years was the class that excelled beyond all expectations.

How's that for some intrinsically, self-absorbed, twisted motivation?