Owning the process of non-cognitive skill development requires that the students have a direct level of experience with each concept and a healthy understanding of their influences, sense of control and ability to think about what they think.  This idea is key to having highly educated and functioning leaders, educators and students.  If educational control is not giving to the one being educated, long term learning is very difficult to attain.  The rewards and influence of outside factors overwhelm self motivation.

I have thus begun to have students identify their level of participation on projects, assignments and interest in being in class.  For many of my current students there is a healthy expectation that they reside from rung 5, 6 and 7.  As an art and outdoor leadership instructor, most of my learning goals are directly tied to my students intrinsic motivation.  How effective is a teacher directly manipulating a student to take a leadership role?  Thus, I am requiring students to assess their level of participation, so that they can see how much of their learning requries their participation.  No longer is sitting, silently, slack jawed a measure of a ‘good class.’