Why doesn’t it make more sense?

M O T I V A T I O N

Why doesn't it make sense?  Why isn't it easy to figure out?  Why isn't it easy to harness?  

Well, I'll tell you.  Because we are always thinking our answers have to be concrete and dichotomous.  We think in terms of "Good or Bad."  Or "Successful or Unsuccessful."  Or "Pass or Fail."  And that's just not how motivation works. 

I can say something like, "I really want to go for a run, also I really don't."  

There are 4 functions of behavior.  Attention, Tangible Items, Escape, and Automatic.  (If you've been to one of my workshops, you probably said them out loud, super fast. lol Bless y'all I love that)  I might want to go on my run because I'll feel good about myself (automatic) and I can text my accountability buddy that I got my six miles in (attention).  But if I stay home from my run I can lay in the air conditioning (escape) and read my book (tangible item).  I'm not NOT motivated.  I'm motivated to run and motivated to not run based on different functional reinforcers available by each choice. 

Motivation is not one answer. 

So when I walk into a classroom and tell a teacher that I think behavior is attention maintained, something happens.  The teacher envisions all instances of the behavior happening.  And if that teacher can think of one situation where attention didn't seem to be the answer, it doesn't feel correct to them and they lose all buy in to what I'm teaching.  Because it's natural for us to want to have one, true, cut and dry answer to our problems.  

If we can climb over this mountain and understand that it's not this OR that.  It's this AND that.  We will understand our environment so much better. 

You have reasons to be for and against the same decision.  That's why decisions aren't easy. 

I've had students who refused to do any school work over the course of months, who were extremely intelligent.  I've had students who worked all day and all night to sit behind grade level. 

I've had physically aggressive students who said some of the most meaningful and nice things to me.  

These students are not good or bad, successful or unsuccessful, mean or nice. 

YOU are not good or bad, successful or unsuccessful, mean or nice. 

You're going to have to dive a little deeper than an "OR" understanding of behavior to understand motivation and how it works.  But once you do, lots of new understanding will come your way.  

Sometimes you don't have to have the answer.  But knowing that it's more complex than you originally thought is enough to help you understand it better. 

Have a great weekend! 

Lani