Think about some of the great teachers you’ve observed or worked with throughout your life. What made them great? What separates them in your mind from other teachers you’ve had? One thing that I’ve noticed is that exceptional teachers have an innate ability to inspire and motivate those they teach. Here are three ways to do this in your teaching this year:

The book, "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" by Daniel H. Pink is based on scientific research by people like Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, Carol Dweck, and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, among others, and provides insight into the role of motivation in our lives. Here are my three biggest takeaways: