Joan G. Ogilvy Holden
Head of School
St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School

One advantage of the many snow days which we had in February was the opportunity it afforded me to read books from my “intend to read” pile. A book which I found extremely interesting and informative is Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us, by Daniel H. Pink. Mr. Pink observes that in the twentieth century most people believed that the best way to motivate ourselves, and others, was with external rewards, like possessions or money - the “carrot approach.” Mr. Pink presents a persuasive argument that this approach is no longer effective and that “the secret to high performance and satisfaction – at work, at school, and at home – is the deeply human need to direct our lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.”

I remember that as a child I had a friend whose parents bought her possessions according to the grades she received. In eighth grade she was given brand new skis and a trip to Vail for receiving three or more A’s. When we were in high school, she received a new car for making the Dean’s List. Mr. Pink would say that rewards like these lead to extrinsic motivation, which ultimately does not contribute to one’s sense of motivation or drive. True motivation, or as he refers to it, “intrinsic motivation” is determined and developed through autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

There have been several times during my years as an educator when I have been asked by a discouraged or confused parent about their child’s motivation, or lack thereof. I know that there is no secret formula or software program that can result in a person’s increased motivation. However, after dealing with many different types of students and families, I find that Mr. Pink’s elements of true motivation – autonomy, mastery, and purpose – truly resonate with me.

I remember many years ago a very experienced and wise educator said to me, “Parenting is one-third love, one-third support, and one-third sitting on your hands.” At the time, this seemed grossly oversimplified, yet after parenting and educating for many years, I now find this to be excellent advice. Sitting on our hands is probably the most difficult task because we want so much for an outcome for our children to be positive; we want to avoid disappointment, possible failure, or even rejection for them. Mr. Pink points out that the opposite of autonomy is control, and he underscores the importance of allowing our students and children to learn to be independent thinkers and doers. He emphasizes the importance of finding one’s passion and true interest, and his emphasis seems to be on actively engaging in activity or community. I was pleased to hear Mr. Pink use the word “engagement” because our many wonderful independent schools encourage this as being a part of a vital and strong community.

The final element of true motivation is purpose, and Mr. Pink says that purpose is based on doing something which one finds deeply satisfying and personally challenging yet still being constantly inspired to improve and do even better. The ability always to do our best, I believe, comes from honest yet supportive assessment, setting high standards, providing role models who exemplify this quality, and providing environments – both within the school community as well at home – that make it clear that it is alright to stumble, or at times to be unsuccessful, and perhaps fail. I know that when I have not done my best work, it has motivated me to do a far better job the next time around.

Finally, I am hopeful that in this twenty-first century our students and children can find autonomy, mastery, and purpose. I truly believe that our independent schools not only set high standards, they create environments that allow our students to know what it feels like to do their best. Once an individual experiences this feeling, the inner drive to achieve that feeling again is also developed. That is my greatest wish for every student.