Self-Motivation/Rewards Later

I always thought that Eagle TV was somewhat insulated from the spoils of regular public education. The students who have come through my (no longer existing) double doors have been driven, motivated, excited journalism students who can't wait to sink their teeth into a good story and do their best; if only for personal satisfaction and nothing else. But, alas, things have changed.

The traditional educational model, in my opinion, is that too many students are being told by teachers that if they do their work, in the end they will be happy that they did it. There is no internal motivation by the student to work hard and that the payoff will be personally rewarding. That has seemed to be the case in many classes in the last 5 years or so, but not so much in Eagle TV; until this year.

Whether I speak about student or teacher, child or adult, to do our best...to reach our highest potential, we have to care. We've all done something in our lives that we never thought we could do and had we never cared enough to try, it wouldn't have happened. Your amazing accomplishment began with caring. Getting to that pinnacle of accomplishment is peppered with setbacks, disappointments, discouragement and DEFINITELY hard work, but throughout the journey, we knew that it will be good in the end. We just had to be patient and do our very best in the meantime. I'm afraid that the number of Eagle TV students willing to play the game of "do-your-best-and-the-rewards-will-come" is shrinking. Student apathy is at an all-time high.

And I feel all alone. I just can't carry you anymore. I am exhausted from the cheerleading and encouragement that is met with mere blank stares and inactivity. I am running all over the classroom, getting equipment together for you, writing scripts for you, telling you which project to edit or handing you a tape of already-videotaped-footage and all you have to do is take it from me and finish it. But you won't take it. You won't do it. You just sit there.

I've run dry. I've got to refill my well somehow and it's not happening here, with you. You have had opportunities to send video to our local NBC affiliate for airing on their TV station - you haven't grabbed that opportunity. You've had phenomenal story ideas grab you by the hair (one of which already had the interview already lined up) and you turn around and walk away. It's too hard, you say. You've had the opportunity to participate in a nationwide video competition where I've volunteered to pay for your contest entry and you've just looked down into your laps. You flop around like fish out of water when you are faced with checking out equipment yourselves for a project that has already been started for you. Disappointing. It makes me cry.

I can't tell you anymore that the show, when our control room is done, will be unbelievable. And in an effort to give you a fun assignment while building content by doing MOS's, I'm met with dark, non-white balanced footage that you can barely hear. Bummer. So sad, Level II, III and IV. I give up. I suppose we'll start having to work out of the book.

You have to work for what you want. It's not handed to you and I'm certainly not going to run on reserves for you anymore. You all are some of the most talented students in the school, yet you're wasting the time you have in class brooding over the fact that we're not on the air yet, or that it's "too much work to carry around a tripod or check audio".

Show me some initiative. Show me some interest by asking me questions about how to do stuff yourself, not asking me to do things for you. Show me that YOU will be a big part of what makes Eagle TV great. YOU can stand out. YOU can become popular just by the amazing stories you produce. YOU have had the door opened for you, you just have to walk through it. It starts when you get out of your seat and WORK.

I will not ask you to respond to this with what I can do to help you get motivated and moving because I can't anymore, but what YOU can do to motivate yourself and others. This is our last chance. You're going to have to start running, just to keep up with the others racing against you in this field. Don't you want to be the best? Eagle TV will be on the air soon; how will it look? You came through those double doors expecting to be the best....now is your chance!