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2.4 Discussion Board II: Motivation (Required to earn certificate)
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Posted by CUNY Mindset Initiative on March 11, 2024 at 10:58 amđź’¬ Discussion:
- To effectively promote learning mindsets to students it is helpful to adopt them & use them in your own life. When you learn how to make value connections in your own work, the easier it will be for you to assist students.
- Think of a time when you had to do something you did not want to and were successful. How did you navigate that challenge? By what means did you transition from, “I don’t want to do this.” to “I want to do this.”? Where did you find the motivation? How did you stay engaged?
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You can motivate the students by helping set their achievable goal. Tell them what they need to do to success and achieve their goal. Give nonjudgmental feedback on their work.
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Hi Narendra,
Getting feedback is so important in the learning process! How do you provide opportunities for your students to receive feedback, and how do you help them to not see critical feedback (intended to benefit them and improve their work) as threatening?
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Your point about the critical role of feedback in learning is spot on. Creating opportunities for students to receive and interpret feedback constructively is a skill in itself. It would be great to hear about specific strategies or activities you’ve found effective in helping students embrace feedback as a tool for growth rather than a source of threat.
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Setting achievable goals is indeed a cornerstone of student motivation. Your approach of providing clear, nonjudgmental feedback is essential for fostering a safe learning environment where students can thrive. It would be interesting to hear more about how you balance the need for constructive criticism with the importance of maintaining a positive and encouraging classroom atmosphere.
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Think of a time when you had to do something you did not want to and were successful. How did you navigate that challenge? By what means did you transition from, “I don’t want to do this.” to “I want to do this.”? Where did you find the motivation? How did you stay engaged?
Anxiety and a fear of failure are the universal culprits that keep me, along with millions of others. from attempting to do something new. To push myself across the threshold from inaction to action, I have to consider the benefits and authentic relevance of the experience for me. If I see a connection to my life or personal growth, the task becomes even intriguing. If its meaning is not immediately evident, I have to think about ways to break down the task to more manageable steps to overcome my fear of inadequacies. As a teacher I bring this empathy to my students.
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I echo what you are saying about a fear of failure holding us back! I see this in my students and in my own life as well. Sometimes we pretend not be interested in something when the real issue is that we are afraid of not doing very well at it. Do you have any suggestions for motivating students who might fall into this category?
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Your honest reflection on dealing with anxiety and fear of failure is something many can relate to, both educators and students alike. The strategy of breaking down daunting tasks into manageable steps is a practical approach that can be applied in various learning scenarios. It’s admirable how you leverage your personal experiences to empathize with and support your students through similar challenges.
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@dascheri – Do you have an example of something new you tried out and were able to push yourself on past the threshold from inaction to action?
For me, one example was learning a new language. In high school, I wanted to continue and advance with Spanish since that is my native language, but it didn’t fit into my schedule and the only other option was French. To be honest, I don’t think I really motivated myself to do it… until the classes started… then I really enjoyed it and came to love French. 🇫🇷
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I create projects that encourage students to make connections between what they are learning in my courses and what they can do in response to issues they are dealing with in their own lives, family, and community. Additionally, I design my assignments in ways that enable students to synthesize and reflect on their competencies and experiences in purposeful and meaningful ways.
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Hi Jean,
This sounds great! I’m curious if you would be willing to share a couple of specific project or assignment ideas where you accomplish this. Do you find that creating a sense of relevance helps to motivate your students?
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Your approach of connecting academic content with students’ personal lives and communities is a powerful way to make learning relevant and meaningful. This not only enhances engagement but also empowers students to apply their knowledge in real-world contexts. Would you be willing to share a few examples of these projects or assignments? It would provide valuable inspiration for others looking to adopt a similar approach.
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“By what means did you transition from, ‘I don’t want to do this.’ to ‘I want to do this.’? Where did you find the motivation?”
I think this is a very good, but difficult question to answer. I wouldn’t claim that I fully understand the psychological process from not wanting to do something to then wanting to do it, as it relates to my wants and desires.
Of course, extrinsic desires often play a role in motivating me. While we probably want to discourage extrinsic motivation in the context of pedagogy, I have to admit that they have often motivated me to do things I don’t want to do.
Intrinsic motivation is much better, admittedly. As long as I am able to see how my current demands are themselves important to me, I am able to employ intrinsic motivations to get me to accomplish some task. Coming to see that those demands are important to me requires self-reflection and self-knowledge, as well as a level of maturity.
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The distinction you make between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation is an important one. While extrinsic motivators can be effective, fostering intrinsic motivation by helping students find personal relevance and satisfaction in their work is ideal. Your emphasis on self-reflection and self-knowledge as pathways to intrinsic motivation is particularly noteworthy.
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What was an example of something you didn’t want to do? Do you have any to share with us and/or with students?Â
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I created a collaborative assignment between 3 courses to teach them the connections and better assist their patients. My project is an interactive video explaining the patient’s case to them. This shows critical thinking, and most students think being in the clinic with live patients is fun and very useful.
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Your initiative in creating a collaborative assignment across multiple courses is innovative and likely highly impactful for students. By simulating real-world scenarios through interactive videos, you’re not only enhancing their learning experience but also preparing them for practical challenges. It would be great to learn more about how you structured this collaboration and the impact it had on student engagement and understanding.
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- Think of a time when you had to do something you did not want to and were successful. How did you navigate that challenge? By what means did you transition from, “I don’t want to do this.” to “I want to do this.”? Where did you find the motivation? How did you stay engaged? Public speaking or class presentations was always a challenge for me. Once I changed my mind-set to “I can” do this rather than “I have to” do this, it was much easier for me to embrace it and recognize that it was a professional skill I needed to develop. Motivation from external supports to help me grow my confidence and see that I could be successful at it was a major help for me. And identifying topics of interest that I wanted to present on helped me stay engaged as well.
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Your personal journey from apprehension to embracing public speaking is inspiring. It highlights the power of mindset shifts from obligation to opportunity. The role of external support in building your confidence underscores the importance of a supportive learning environment. Sharing your experiences and strategies for engaging with topics of interest could provide valuable insights for others facing similar challenges.
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I struggle with adapting the way I work with the ever-changing technologies I’m expected to master. I am NOT a digital native; when I was a traditional-age college students, the only technology I needed to master was a typewriter. While I may occasionally be tempted to throw a mini-tantrum over the inescapability of it all, I recognize that the tech evolution does enable me to serve students more effectively (i.e., targeted outreach to struggling students) than I could with the endless cabinets of folders filled with paper). I prefer to stay and struggle rather than retire.
It helps enormously that my younger colleagues are uncomplainingly, cheerfully helpful when I periodically send out my cries for help.
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Thanks for sharing the story! It is a good example of finding extrinsic motivation (connecting with and supporting your students) to persist and find value in an area that you naturally would rather avoid. Are there any intrinsic motivators in this story of mastering technology? Are there ways it has made your own work easier or more satisfying?
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Indeed, while the external motivation to better serve my students drives a lot of my effort to keep up with technology, there are intrinsic rewards that come with this struggle as well. Mastering new digital tools brings a significant sense of personal achievement and keeps me mentally agile. Each small victory over a new software or platform boosts my confidence and reminds me that learning is a lifelong process, no matter the domain.
Moreover, the efficiency gained through technology—being able to manage data more swiftly, communicate more effectively, and streamline many of my administrative tasks—adds a layer of satisfaction to my work. It’s gratifying to see how much more I can accomplish in a day with the right tools at my disposal.
The camaraderie and support from my younger colleagues also enrich my work life. It’s heartening to experience such a collaborative atmosphere where everyone brings something valuable to the table. This has not only eased my tech learning curve but has also fostered a team-oriented culture that I find deeply fulfilling.
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@Denise – I’d love to hear more about the targeted outreach. What tools do you use? Navigate? The learning platform itself? Others?
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In struggling to better manage time and complete tasks, I often force myself to “start” with the 2 minutes, 5 minute principle. The “Make your bed” book (McRaven) is keen on doing small things first
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This principle sounds familiar, but would you be willing to share more? And do you encourage your students to implement this principle when studying or completing assignments?
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One of my favorites is Tiny Habits by B.J. Fogg. Let’s say your goal is to floss all teeth after brushing. Rather than relying on sheer motivation and willpower (which might not last very long), you start small and recognize the importance of getting started. The tiny habit has 3 components and you keep on doing it until you are ready to do more.
- Anchor – placing it after another activity you’re already doing (e.g. brushing your teeth)
- Behavior – small action (e.g. floss just one tooth)
- Celebration (the best part) – you celebrate in order to associate positive feelings with this small action (e.g. doing a celebration dance)
Any ideas for tiny habits students could do to support their learning?
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I encountered many moments while studying for my master’s degree, I lost motivation from time to time and I did not feel like doing my work, but it was mainly because I was also taking care of my family, kids, and a part time job. I navigated the challenges doing two things, first by identifying the root cause of the lack of motivation and the desire of not doing to the work, and second by reminding myself why I was studying the Masters. There was a moment that I thought I wanted to give up, but I turned it into I will do it, otherwise I knew I was going to regret it later and I would not forgive myself. My motivation was learning satisfaction and the fact that the MA could offer me new work opportunities, which will take me on a career path, which was my dream before I left my country and started a family in the USA. I stayed engaged by looking for creative ways to achieve my readings, with PDF, Audio Books, and any other support I could find. However, I strongly believe my engagement and motivation also was because I participated with my classmates and professors.Â
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What a great story to share with your students! Keeping the focus on the long-term goal and the larger reasons for pursuing it can be a great motivator to keep us going in the day-to-day difficulties that arise.
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@markelakhosrowshahi—Thank you for sharing! I agree with @sethlehman. This is a wonderful personal story to share with your students. I really like that it emphasizes that a growth mindset doesn’t mean you have to do it all by yourself. It’s best when accompanied by support and resources to help you succeed. Hopefully support is around you to some degree but it is also an active process to seek for it as you did.
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When my close friend’s husband died, she was so overwhelmed with grief. The mountain of administrative tasks that was also on her plate made the thought of writing an obituary out of the question for her. Her adult children said they would work on it, but when she read what they had written, she felt it was missing something. I offered to write another version of the obituary to lighten her load and give her more material to work with as she continued working on the other arrangements. Immediately afterwards, I felt a sense of dread. The pressure of writing something so important weighed heavily on my mind. I found myself avoiding the task of starting the obituary in the days that followed, but I also knew that I could not go back on my word after having agreed to do it. Eventually, I realized that it would not be fair to wait until the last minute to complete a piece of work that would mean so much to the family and friends of the deceased. At that point, I started asking questions to get some of the basic facts of his life documented, and I also had to ask about things that would help me capture the essence of who he was, how he lived his life, and what his legacy would be. He was my friend, too, and I knew I couldn’t let him down. All of these thoughts motivated me–nay, compelled me–to start writing. I stayed engaged by continuing to update my friend on the progress I was making on the obituary. Eventually, I gave her a draft to read, and then I listened as she reminisced about aspects of her life with her husband. Her feedback on what I had written came in bits and pieces. After a while, I started to look forward to having a polished version of the obituary for her husband’s loved ones to read. I asked my friend not to publicize that I had written the obituary because I did not want her children to feel that their efforts were unappreciated. Knowing that she was satisfied with the obituary gave me the motivation I needed to complete it, and knowing that the obituary had to go to the funeral home by a certain time kept me on track and engaged until the very end.
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I’m going to use the current moment! Artificial Intelligence (AI) is providing significant challenges to higher education. A year ago, I was feeling vexed about it and about the future of: higher education, the teaching of writing, writing in general. And, frankly, I suppose that’s how many of our math colleagues felt eons ago when modern pocket calculators came of age. And yet? Math & the teaching of math persists.
AI isn’t going anywhere, so I forced myself to jump into the conversation. I challenged myself to adopt a growth mindset and to begin exploring and thinking. A year later, I have 0 answers, but I have 1 fantastic ENG 101 themed around AI under my belt. It was a fantastic semester of co-learning and co-exploration with my students. In many ways, I think I learned more than they did. I continue to have serious questions about AI and its role in our world: ethical issues, labor issues, philosophical issues, etc. But, I’m coming from a place of inquiry: instead of reacting, I’m researching. Instead of jumping to conclusions, I’m open to exploring and considering. Since the AI conversation is exploding in almost all industries right now, it’s easy to stay engaged because there are iterations of this conversation happening everywhere. And, that’s also a piece of engagement: it couldn’t be more relevant right now.
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Wow, this hit me hard. I have definitely been avoiding the discussion surrounding AI, which is not going to benefit me in the long-term, or my future students! It’s challenging to realize that my approach towards AI has not reflected a growth mindset. Maybe you could share some resources for learning more?
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The answer below is for the following prompt:
Think of a time when you had to do something you did not want to and were successful. How did you navigate that challenge? By what means did you transition from, “I don’t want to do this.” to “I want to do this.”? Where did you find the motivation? How did you stay engaged?
There are quite a lot of times when I needed to do something I didn’t quite want or like, either since that required action didn’t interest me, contradicted some belief I had, required an approach that I didn’t like to use, had a scheduling conflict with another action that I was supposed to cancel because of it, or due to pure laziness on my side 🙂 I am not perfect and never claim to be one 🙂 For the sake of this discussion, I’ll use the example of studying for an exam in an undergrad class that wasn’t closely related to my major (Computer Science).
In general, what I’ve found out was the most motivating in situations when I didn’t want to do something was the understanding that, if I hadn’t performed the action that was expected from me, I would disappoint or hurt someone who is important to me. When understanding that someone I love and cherish will suffer from negative results of my refusing to do an action, or just be sad or disappointed, I proceed full-force to performing that action, regardless of how much I dislike it or have something more important to do. Specifically, for the example of a course, I wasn’t especially interested in, the fact that not only my parents but, surprisingly, also the instructor of the course would be disappointed drove me to do my best and study for the class. I was smart enough to notice the effort that my undergrad instructors put into teaching their classes and the instructor’s true wish to have their students succeed, which led me to understand that doing badly in class will result in the disappointment of good people, which I tried to avoid as much as I could.
From these experiences, I deduce that the interpersonal communication that the instructor has with their students, in its own right, decides whether students will be motivated in the class or not. If the instructor respects their students, shows how they love their subject of study/research, and expresses how important it is for them that their students succeed, the students will ‘catch’ on to this positive attitude and will be motivated to study the subject.
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I think my resistance in learning or trying out something on a job as fear and ego. Since I am a career changer twice over, I usually point to an example of when I was asked to take on teaching Math for students with IEP’s at the High School level. I had a fear of Math that went begin in 9th grade when the Math was becoming more abstract and had many more steps to it. My teacher at the time had a low voice and even though I sat in the front of the class I missed some key concepts. Years later when I was asked to pilot a Math program for learners with learning disabilities I had to really buckle down and examine my fears. I was one step ahead of the students in the textbook. My boyfriend at the time tutored me and he was amazing because he had dyslexia and math was his strength. I not only went on to teach the class successfully, but when the boss left, I was able to go back to my chosen subject.
I share this with my teacher candidates when they come down on themselves for failing the Math portion of the teacher’s exam multiple times. Some of them use the term, ” Not a Math person”. I remind them that they have not had this Math for a few years and simply taking a little study course (free by our School of Ed) can help them. If they still cannot pass it, I give them more resources. Nine times out of ten (now I’m using Math), they find that a little bit of openminded-ness and a little bit of elbow grease helps.
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Thanks for sharing your experiences! I teach math and encounter so much mental resistance to engaging with math content – especially more abstract concepts! Many students tell me, “I’m just bad at math”. I think for students like these, overcoming their fears and getting motivated to learn is really half the battle. I often tell students on the first day that one of my goals is to help them see that they can do math, and that by the end of the semester they would even consider voluntarily taking another math class in the future! Thankfully, I have seen that negative attitude change in many – though not all – of my students by the end of our time together, and that is always rewarding to see.
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In various personal and professional situations, I’ve experienced initial reluctance towards certain tasks, only to achieve success ultimately. The fear of the unknown or failure often held me back. To overcome these fears, I invested time in fully understanding the project at hand and set specific, measurable, and achievable goals. Seeking guidance from experienced individuals or mentors proved incredibly beneficial, providing me with the motivation and inspiration I needed. Engaging in self-reflection helped me transition from reluctance to a mindset of capability as I tracked my progress toward my goals. Additionally, receiving constructive feedback from mentors and peers significantly contributed to this change in perspective. Internal motivation, the satisfaction of achievement, and external incentives derived from potential outcomes or the impact of my efforts on myself and others were critical in maintaining my engagement and determination.
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One of my course requirements in graduate school was neuroanatomy. I did not feel like it was relevant to my research interest on neural development and I was much more focused on my actual research than my coursework at the time. I tried to do the minimum just to pass the class and satisfy the requirement, but I ended up failing the class. I initially asked my program director if he could waive the requirement since it was not relevant to my research but he said he couldn’t. Therefore, I asked my instructor to recommend a tutor who walked me through the course by my side as I retook it. My tutor was amazing and I had a great rapport with him and I ended up loving neuroanatomy and doing really well in the course. In retrospect, I think about how my tutor was able to get me to love something I initially didn’t want to do. He broke up the complexity into tiny manageable steps and made sure I was able to grasp each step before moving on. Sometimes students think there’s no point to making an effort because something is “impossible” to understand. I will share my neuroanatomy lesson with my students as a way for them to see the purpose in getting help.
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In high school, I struggled with the preparation for the standardized math test (non-US context). After weeks of procrastination and self-doubt, I remember committing to a set of study sessions and actually being able to complete them. One of the reasons that helped me stay motivated was recognizing that I did pretty well on some of the topics which helped me believe that I can also then do better on the areas that I struggle with if I dedicate time to them. In other words, recognizing my relative success in a related area helped me stay motivated and believe in my ability to grow in another similar area. I try to do that for my student as well. Help them recognize that they have already grown in some areas, which means that they can also grow in others.
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There are a lot of things that I have done (and do) that I didn’t want to do (or don’t want to do). I’m not sure I can pick one. As several others have commented, anxiety is a daily obstacle, one that I have learned to navigate. Determination or persistence gets me through, and so does an understanding of a larger purpose or good that serves me and/or my community. A desire for something to work well or serve the world better. That desire is something that I have always had, for better or worse. I sometimes see it is students, too.
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This is a very useful skill! I had been trying to identify with students who have trouble getting work done. We professors were almost always studious ourselves, so it’s hard to imagine. Finally, I realized that my procrastination around working out was not good for my health. I learned a kind of “self-helpy” trick to talk myself out of talking myself out of workouts. That is, when the excuses start, “It might rain,” or “I’m a little tired today,” I would just interrupt the thoughts by by counting backwards: 5-4-3-2-1. It worked. Or sometimes, I would make a joke to myself, make my hand into a little beak and mock my whiney voice, “It’s raining, poor me….” Ha ha. I have less troubles with working out consistently now. Also, reminding myself how good I feel when the workout is done is helpful. I tell students to just sit down, open their books, and work for fifteen minutes, then ask if they want to stop. They say this helps quite bit. Think about the first step, then the second, not the hours of work. That helps too. I do it myself: just put your running clothes on.
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Love the idea of using humor! I am going to use the snarky voice technique! Thanks for making me laugh out loud 🙂
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Think of a time when you had to do something you did not want to and were successful. How did you navigate that challenge? By what means did you transition from “I don’t want to do this.” to “I want to do this.”? Where did you find the motivation? How did you stay engaged?
I got mad at philosophy in high school because the teacher scolded me for talking too much. Of course, it wasn’t philosophy’s fault, but in undergraduate studies, I was terrified to take that class, but I had no choice because it was required. My fear disappeared with the instructor and classmates I had. The professor made everything look easy, and working in groups helped me immensely. I loved it from the beginning and convinced myself I could do it. -
Truth to be told, end of the semester grading always feels like a daunting task. If there was an olympic category of procrastination, I’d win every time! Hardcore grading is something I don’ always want to do. The way I have overcome this challenge is by breaking up the task into smaller chunks of realistic time and goals, followed up with mini-awards after I hit a grading goal. I also envision how happy I will feel when grading is completed and I pay attention to the joys of seeing students’ progress throughout the semester, which is inspiring. So in a nutshell, tapping into how finishing the goal will make me feel and reminding myself of how this assessment process is an important component for supporting my students.
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Yes, I think we all feel daunted by grading. Your overall approach of focusing on the big picture and breaking the task into chunks is very similar to my approach. I will have to adopt your mini-awards as well as that sounds great.
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I like the idea of giving yourself mini awards for achieving a goal and thinking about success in degrees rather than absolutes.
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As a PI on a grant there was a lot of paperwork to submit that I didn’t want to (receipts, reports etc.) At first much of it seemed to be unnecessary or superfluous. However, I realized that the funders had their own reports to write and it was necessary to make sure money was not misspent. What really helped me to change my mind was to focus on the good things that were coming as a result of the grant and see the paperwork as the necessary oil in the machine that allowed those good things to happen. When I focused on one thing at a time and broke it up into smaller chunks over time, that helped me to stay engaged with it and complete it. That also meant I had to learn to not wait until the last minute!
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As a student, I started off in a group project that eventually became an individual task. Initially, I felt it was unfair that all the responsibility fell on me, and I was reluctant to tackle it. After discussing my concerns with friends, I received valuable feedback that helped boost my motivation. I chose to view the project as an opportunity to hone professional skills for my future career. To stay motivated, I engaged supporters who reviewed my work and provided feedback, serving as sounding boards for my ideas. This experience has become my go-to anecdote when working with students because the project proved to be a valuable talking point in later interview discussions.
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There was some great discussion on this in our breakout room. Group work is (almost) always difficult but also such an important skill. Your story also speaks to the “failure is a greater teacher than success” quote, where you can learn about yourself and how to work better in a group in the future if your group has problems than if it goes smoothly.
When I do group projects I also find that defined roles, clear rubrics and the chance for them to give feedback on each other and themselves are all important.
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I recently had to review dozens of applications for an arts organization. Though I knew what I was supposed to do, I had never been a grant reviewer before. I was shocked to realize it took me much longer than the organization suggested it take for me to review the applications. Because I was overwhelmed with the now enormity of the task, I started procrastinating and not wanting to review the applications. I transitioned from “I don’t want to do this ” to “I want to do this” in several small steps. First, I blocked time in my planner to work on the applications. Next, I gave myself targets for how many applications I wanted to review in a given amount of time. Then, I looked again at the guidelines and created questions to help me focus on the specifics of an applicant’s materials with respect to what the organization valued. Finally, I talked with a colleague who had done this type of work before to get suggestions on strategies that worked for them. Each step helped me be more efficient with the scoring and discerning with the applications to give meaningful feedback to the applicant. As I saw the number of applications decrease, it gave me motivation to keep going and complete the task.
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I like your idea of blocking out time for the task to commit yourself to do it. This is something I need to get better at doing myself.
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Part of my procrastination was watching time management videos on YouTube (lol). The strategies (provided you follow through) are surprisingly helpful.
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I teach at 8 a.m., which is not the best time for me or our students. We all begin with a mental health check-in, which helps us focus on the task.
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How to shift from ‘I don’t want to to this’ to ‘I want to do this.’ Someone else mentioned that having a sense of humor helps; it does help me get over it if I find myself avoiding or procrastinating on a task, to be able to recognize that the task isn’t so big or scary after all and laugh a little at my resistance to it. In graduate school, one of the best pieces of practical advice I got was to break big tasks down into smaller tasks (I think my advisor had seen too many students freeze while working on their dissertations when they got up in the morning and thought, “Today I have to write chapter 3!,” which is too big of a task to take on as a whole. I started then to make a daily to-do list, and I still do.
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Cynthia – likewise I have a to-do check list! I prioritize things that need to be done today (and others that can be done tomorrow). I’ve found it to be helpful in managing my time.
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To navigate the challenge I did not want to face and I were successful, like the suggestions from Cynthia and Diana, a to-do list to scaffold the big task would help! I also would like to add that I would reflect on the meaning of the task (of course sometimes it’s meaningless!), and sometimes it would remind me of the connections to some major goals I would like to achieve but the connections I don’t see at this moment when doing the task at-hand. So I think keeping a to-do list and also reflecting on its connections to other goals help me.
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Learning to deal with skaldic poetry (a very formal, complicated, and rule-bound form of poetry in Old Norse) was a major hurdle for me. Reading the poetry requires a level of fluency that is difficult to achieve in a foreign, particularly a dead, language. Briefly, it is necessary to understand that every four lines in skaldic verse must be a complete syntactic unit (sentence). However, for purposes of rhyme, alliteration, and stress, words from the sentence can be put anywhere within those four lines. However, Old Norse, like Present-Day English, is very idiomatic. In PDE, we have ‘to put’, which is different from ‘to put up’, which is different again from ‘to put up with’. If we wanted to express the idea of ‘to put up with’ but each of the four words could appear in a different line of poetry, but we had to understand that we needed to reassemble them to grasp the meaning, we would be frustrated. That is how encountering skaldic poetry feels.
I got through the experience in two ways. First, my dissertation required that I engage with skaldic poetry. While I could have dropped that chapter, the fact was that the material was important to my larger argument about what was going on in another language (Old English, but in the court of the Danish conqueror Cnut). There was a practical motivation.
The second was a professor I was working for doing her own editions and translations of some skaldic verse. She herself was not a fan of the form and was struggling with it (and she is one of the foremost Old Norse scholars in the world, so really does have a near-native fluency). She tasked me with checking her translations, which required me going through the original poems, translating every word, looking up idioms, and then testing the options against her translations. Realizing that I could do the work (and even correct her a couple of times) convinced me that I was capable. Once I had overcome that hurdle, I came to really like the perverse form that is skaldic verse (as did my professor, actually).
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Public speaking whether it is teaching or simply giving a presentation has always been a challenge for me. I remember crying after the first public presentation I gave in college, I was overwhelmed with emotions and did not know how navigate. I took time to reflect (Journaling was key for me), and saw that all of my concerns stemmed in fear and the desire for perfectionism (fixed mindset). Â Reflection allowed me to highlight my ultimate goals, and this was to learn, teach and connect with people. Once I saw my goals as a torch of light, I started to view all the paths that lead to it as exciting and essential for me to achieve them. In fact, right now, I look forward to challenges because I know where there is discomfort there is growth.
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