What motivates teachers?

So it's Sunday night before I find any time at all to look at my netvibes page and the 200+ readings waiting for me. Pick and choose it the only way to get through them, although I know I'm missing some good stuff.

I did find time at 6am this morning to submit 4 entries to the K12 online conference. Had a good talk with our PD Coordinator and this week will start the process to get college credits for those that join me for the conference. I already have 4 people who say they are in and more who are waiting to see if they'll get college credit for the class.

That bothers me a little bit, that teachers need a motivation to learn. I need the credits as much as the next guy, don't get me wrong. But when people come to me and say, "Let me know if you get credit for the class, if you do, I'd be interested" it bothers me. Are those the kind of people I want joining me for the conference? The kind that come for credit and not for the conversation? Does/can life long learning only take place if you get some kind of credit for it? If so I waste a lot of time on my own 25% PD every week.

I know there are a lot of teachers out there that this doesn't apply to, but there are also a lot of teachers that it does apply too. What if we were doctors and only updated our skills when we got credit for it, or when it was time to renew our license. What would our patients say? What would our parents and students say?

We are all pressed for time, and we are all doing a million things. If technology isn't your thing then please don't come, but if you truly feel that this conference and the conversation that we will have can benefit you and your students, then I welcome you to our little gathering here in Shanghai!

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