Reference no: EM133214795

Assignment - Necessity and Importance of Motivation in Education Discussion

Description - Project - Teacher Interview: (Signature Assessment)

Interview either a regular classroom teacher or a special education teacher on motivational/management techniques in relation to educational psychology. Develop at least ten relevant questions to ask and include them in a word-processed paper that describes the teacher's responses and your reaction to/analysis of those comments. The format of the paper should be Question, Response, and Reflection, for each of the ten questions, as per the example below. NOTE: Please include the name of the teacher interviewed and the school where he/she currently teaches.

EXAMPLE (Question, Teacher's Response, Your Reflection) - 10 of these are required

Question: According to Vygotsky, the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is recognized by educators to help students solve problems at their current developmental levels. How have you used ZPD, in your classroom, and are all of your students in the same zone?

Response: No, all of my students aren't in the same zone. As with most classrooms, there can be found a diverse population of students with different learning styles and needs. However, it is my intent to ensure that each of my students are in his/her ZPD at any given time. I don't want the material to be too hard as they may give up and quit trying. But I also don't want the material to be too easy as they will become disinterested because the already know the material. If I'm not mistaken, Piaget, another great pioneer of educational psychology, may have referred to Vygotsky's ZPD as the "magic middle", where they are neither bored or frustrated.

Reflection: It is apparent that Mrs. Robinson understands the idea of ZPD based on her thoughtful comments above. She was not only able to explain ZPD, but was able to cite the work of Piaget as it relates to the work of Vygotsky. In my opinion, Mrs. Robinson is an excellent teacher with a great deal of knowledge. I plan to pattern my teaching style after her.