There are many characteristics that we went over in class, some I agreed with while there were many that I didn’t agree with. I personally think achievement is almost entirely internal.
The first characteristic is that achievement is internally fed. Achievement can not be what others expect of you. You have to feel a sense of achievement personally for it to be true achievement.
The second characteristics that I want to talk about is short and long term goals. To achieve something I believe that you have to plan and work for it. If something miraculously happens it is not achievement. Achievement to me means to set a goal and worked towards the finish.
The third characteristic is that achievement will vary for each individual person. Relating to the first characteristic I think that one person’s achievement would not be an achievement for another. If I were to throw a touchdown pass I would feel a great deal of achievement. If Drew Brees did the achievement would be very different.
Me working for years to become a teacher would be a great achievement because I have had many small goals through the years, passing tests, getting good grades, and getting accepted into grad school. Others may not feel like they achieved as much because maybe it was what is expected of them.
An interesting point about achievement being mostly internal. If it can't be what others expect of you, what are the implications for us as teachers? As you note, goal setting can be important. Can we create goals for our students? If achievement is such an individual thing, what is our role as teachers in helping our students achieve? I can appreciate your last point that a significant achievement can be built upon many smaller achievements.
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