It is perhaps the most fundamental question in education. How can we motivate our students to succeed in school? Is it by promising an illustrious career? Pressuring them to get good grades? To make their parents proud? To fit in with their peers? Or something deeper? As classrooms shift and outside distractions compete for our students’ attention, identifying what drives student motivation is more critical than ever.
This question of motivation played out at a public university’s cell center in a famous study conducted by organizational psychologist and bestselling author Adam Grant and his colleagues. The task: Motivate employees to make fundraising calls for scholarships. Often, these calls result in rejection or frustration, leading to low morale. How then can you encourage these employees to repeat the tiresome task of making those phone calls when they earn little money and often face disappointing results?
Grant and his colleagues discovered that all it took was a simple introduction between the call center employees and the scholarship students. After speaking with the students for even a few short minutes to hear about their learning, the call center employees found purpose in their work, resulting in a significant increase in their persistence and job performance by almost 300%! The takeaway? Motivation thrives on connection, purpose, and the feeling that our efforts make a difference.
According to the theory of self-determination, motivation is fueled by connecting to something larger than ourselves. It is about finding purpose and meaning in what we are doing. And in the classroom specifically, it is about creating a joyful learning experience that invites students to find connection, meaning and relevance in their learning. Where they can challenge themselves to become design thinkers, problem solvers, strategic planners and creative contributors. Where learning is not just additive but generative as well. Where they feel that their learning serves a greater purpose and connects them to something greater than themselves.
Whether it is through an interdisciplinary study of “Frankenstein” and the halachos of cloning, independent student-directed senior capstone projects, challenging Tanach courses, or by inventing and designing advanced engineering products to be patented and marketed, we need to provide our students with the encouragement and motivation to push further and dive deeper. The Latin root of the word “assessment” is assidere, literally meaning to sit beside. This nuance of sitting beside the students, while at the same time challenging them to stretch beyond what they initially imagined possible, is what education is all about.
Nowhere do we see this play out more than in one of the greatest cinematic moments in Jewish history. Parshas Vayigash provides the backdrop for the long-awaited return of Yaakov’s beloved son Yosef. The Torah tells us that, when the brothers tried to tell Yaakov the news, he didn’t believe them at first. It was only when he saw the wagons that Yosef had sent to bring him to Mitzrayim that he realized that Yosef was still alive. Rashi comments that the wagons were a hint to the very last Torah lesson Yaakov and Yosef had been learning before Yosef disappeared. According to Rashi, they had been learning about the eglah arufah, the case of the unsolved murder. Wagons in Hebrew are agalos, a word that shares similar letters with the word eglah. When Yaakov instructed Yosef to go look after his brothers, the Sifsei Chachamim tells us that Yaakov walked with Yosef part of the way. Yosef told his father it wasn’t necessary to walk with him, but Yaakov insisted and explained that there is a mitzvah to escort someone out, as we learn from the case of the eglah arufah. The Kli Yakar further elaborates that Yaakov learned this from Avraham, his grandfather, when he observed Avraham escorting his guests out. He did not just give them something to eat and a place to sleep for the night, but he took responsibility for their overall well-being and ensured they embarked on the next leg of their journey safely and with nothing to fear. In so doing, he demonstrated that they were not alone but always connected to others, walking side by side with them as they traversed their next challenge.
It was this same message that was passed down from Yaakov to Yosef. That enduring power of connection, even through life’s challenges. And by sending wagons, Yosef was telling his father that he understood the lesson they learned together so many years prior, and it was that very lesson—that Yaakov would always be with him, side by side—that enabled Yosef to not only survive but thrive in Mitzrayim.
Connection is a powerful motivator, and it can push people to climb higher and dream bigger than they ever imagined. When staring up at a tall mountain, you might judge your ability to climb the mountain based upon physiological resources such as your age or overall health. But a study showed that your perception of the mountain’s steepness is also influenced by social resources. If a friend is standing next to you as you stare up at the mountain, you are more likely to underestimate how steep the mountain actually is. The mountain actually starts to look a little smaller. The closer the bond, the less daunting the task seems.
Our students are also on a journey. The more we can help them make meaningful connections and the more we can stand beside them as they face each challenge, the more they will discover joy in their learning. And that will make all the difference.
Dr. Bethany Strulowitz serves as Bruriah’s principal. She is a lifelong learner who is passionate about cultivating a warm and positive school experience for Bruriah students that enables them to challenge themselves academically, grow religiously, build meaningful relationships, and develop the self-confidence to achieve their dreams. She has over 20 years of experience in Jewish education, having earned her doctorate in educational leadership and innovation at Azrieli Graduate School where she studied the impact of grading practices on motivation and spirituality in high school students. She also holds an MS in differentiated instruction from Azrieli and a BA in psychology and Judaic studies from Stern College. She has led educational leadership training workshops at Azrieli, Prizmah, and various schools.
