I just finished reading Daniel Pink’s Drive and I highly recommend this book for all educators. It really made me think about my work as a teacher (motivating students) and my work as a PD provider (motivating adults).

Pink summarizes his own book using the following Twitter Summary (140 characters or less):

Carrots & sticks are so last century. Drive says for 21st century work, we need to upgrade to autonomy, mastery & purpose

Drive sets the stage in the first three chapters and then delves into the 3 Elements of Motivation:

1. Autonomy: autonomy of task, time, team, and technique- we all want to be the directors of our own lives

2. Mastery: our desire to keep getting better at something that matters to us

3. Purpose: our nature is to seek “a cause greater and more enduring than” ourselves

For me, the following questions rose to the surface as I read Drive:

How does Drive change the way we think about motivating…

• our students to learn?

• our teachers to use the most effective practices?

• administrators to support teachers in reform efforts?

• the community and policy makers to support STEM education?

How do we communicate the thinking of Motivation 3.0 in order to have the greatest impact?

How much autonomy, mastery, and purpose do I find in my own everyday work?

If you decide to give Drive a try- here are some resources to support your understanding and engagement with the book:

• The New Yorker featured Drive as the March Book Club selection. You will find an interview, comments, and other useful links here.
• Daniel Pink’s blog– many resources here
• Gauge your levels of motivation using Daniel Pink’s FREE online survey
• See Daniel Pink’s TED Talk below