Right Motivation
Understanding our intentions
Teacher Experience
A contemplative invitation for educators to reflect on before teaching.Taking time to really reflect, contemplate, and meditate is essential to gain insight into our own mental habits enough so we might glimpse our own—often mixed—motivations. Pausing to generate the intention to really benefit each student in whatever way they most need it and to avoid harming them in any way can be a powerful practice that guides us while we engage with them. What does it feel like when you catch yourself acting from irritation versus genuine care? Try starting one class this week by silently setting the intention: “May I truly benefit each student today.”
Student Experience
A contemplative invitation for students to connect with this learning goal.Before doing something helpful (like cleaning up or sharing a snack), pause and notice whether you’re mainly thinking about helping others or about getting praise for yourself.
Understanding
Students will understand...Understanding our intentions helps us make better choices and feel more peaceful about our actions.
Action
Students are able to...Identify your intentions before everyday activities and notice how different motivations affect your actions and feelings; practice checking your motivation during the day and adjusting when you notice selfish or harmful intentions; and demonstrate understanding that the same action can have different effects depending on your intention.
Content Knowledge
Students will know...Intention is the reason behind our actions – what we’re trying to achieve or why we choose to do something. The same action can have very different results depending on our intention. For example, giving someone a gift because you want to make them happy feels different than giving a gift because you want something back.
Right motivation means having intentions that help rather than harm. The Buddha taught that our intentions are more important than the actual actions because intentions determine how we feel and what happens next. When we act with good intentions, we feel peaceful inside. When we act with selfish or harmful intentions, we often feel worried or upset.
We can practice checking our intentions by asking ourselves, “Why am I doing this?” before we act. Good intentions include wanting to help others, being honest, sharing, and making peace. Harmful intentions include wanting to hurt others, being greedy, or acting out of anger.
Guiding Questions
Implementation Possibilities
Create intention check-in stations where students pause before activities to identify their “why.” Design motivation experiments where students try the same action with different intentions and compare feelings. Use role-playing scenarios with different motivations to discuss outcomes. Practice daily motivation moments where students share one intention to focus on. Develop partner activities where students help each other notice motivations without judgment. Implement transition rituals where students briefly check intentions before new activities.
Assessment Ideas
Observe students’ ability to identify their intentions during check-in activities. Evaluate students’ descriptions of how different motivations feel in their bodies. Assess participation in role-playing activities for understanding of motivation’s effects. Review intention tracking sheets for honest self-reflection over time. Check group discussions for evidence of recognizing the difference between helping and selfish motivations.
