Courtney- Coyle- Ch. 5-7

 Chapter 5: Primal Cues

Summary:

According to Coyle, ignition is an important part of creating skill. This is what motivates and fuels deep practice. Certain events may trigger a primal response in us which motivate us to work harder, faster, and smarter. Coyle gives a variety of examples of these triggers, everything from the death of a parent to winning a lottery ticket entrance to a music school. 

Application:

In my life there have been a variety of things that motivate me to practice and give me energy. Often these have been a "bad" lesson where I go in underprepared, whether in my eyes or the eyes of the teacher, and make a lot of mistakes. The teacher's perceived disappointment or my own frustration often motivate me work differently (not necessarily longer or harder) the next week and I make huge strides. If the science in this chapter is sound that could be because I was getting primal cues that I was not accepted and needed to work harder for that acceptance. 

Chapter 6

Summary:

For ignition to really make a lasting effect, it has to occur more than just once. Many of the talent hotbeds that Coyle observed created an environment where there many, consistent signals to increase motivation. For example, parents at a baseball field would listen be listening to a professional baseball game, regular interactions with someone who was successful, and a mentor who provided motivating feedback. Feedback was the other important aspect of ignition. Coyle emphasizes the importance of using language that encourages effort.

Application:

As a teacher I need to surround my students with possible motivators. I might have some accomplished singers come sing at their recitals, include pictures of excellent singers on my walls, talk about my experience in the field, or have them listen to excellent singers between lessons. The words I use are also so important. I can make an effort to make my feedback more succinct and specific. I want to make sure that the feedback I am giving is growth-oriented. 

Chapter 7: 

Summary:

This chapter focused on KIPP schools, their system and how it created a good framework for talent hotbeds. There were three major things they did that stuck out to me. First, starting with a specific goal and streamlining all their efforts to that goal (in this case getting their students to college). They used social connection to motivate good behavior and focused learning. When students stepped out of line, they stopped the whole school to fix the problem. Third, they gave simple, planned and precise directions. 

Application:

This chapter was a little difficult to wrap my head around, because I wasn't sure how I felt about it. Like Coyle guessed we would, I felt it was a little extreme. I wasn't sure how all of this would impact students emotional development. However, some of the patterns they used made a lot of sense to me. For one thing, I liked how focused the were on the end goal. They mentioned the end goal as often as possible, made sure to expose the kids to that end goal and had visual reminders around the school of that ultimate vision as well. I think it would be great for me as both a student and a teacher to make the focus on those end goals a more regular part of my life.