Knowledge is power. But to gain knowledge, an individual must first learn the information in some basic form. Several educational institutions recognize this concept of learning and acquiring knowledge. However, many institutions have become inconclusive in the last decade with how to correctly motivate their students to learn, and retain the information they are taught. Therefore, more institutions are promoting incentives for their students to become more motivated to learn. Some of these incentives include acknowledging students for doing basic processes; which students in the past were simply expected to do out of common sense. Although, the majority of students in today’s classrooms are being motivated to succeed by incentives; students should know what is expected of themselves to acquire and apply the knowledge bestowed upon them from the institutions. Therefore, students should not be rewarded incentives for doing what is expected of them to do as students.

Throughout my various years of formal schooling, I have had the opportunity to experience what it takes as a student to acquire knowledge through learning. For example, I was always a punctual student to my classes; while some of the students in my classes were not. However, I knew to obtain the full potential of my education; I had to arrive to class on time. The mindset of some of my fellow peers was the complete opposite. Eventually, the administration of the high school I attended had enough of students arriving tardy to class. So they initialized an incentive reward point program to help motivate students to come to class on time. In the end, the incentive worked a little, but it still did not solve the problem. Since a student who is not motived by what is expected of them to accomplish; will tend to not change their ways even for an incentive. Instead, these students need to be informed on what is expected of them. But since these students still do not like to comply with the rules; they should be reprimanded. However, most of them are not, but these students still have the option to be rewarded with a motivating incentive if they do change.

Even though I am now in college, I still have the opportunity to see the beginning of this defective learning process on a daily basis; since I am an elementary after school child care assistant. From those observations, I have seen what motivating incentives have done to the demeanor of some of the students during the early stages of their educational development. The students at the elementary level are constantly being rewarded for their good behavior through earning tickets, and placing them in weekly raffles. Another incentive used for promoting good behavior is a traffic stop light with five levels of colors. This incentive has the students try their best to stay on the highest color for the week. These basic incentives if done effectively can impact a student’s future outlook on education. However, many of the students who remain on the best behaved light color tend to do so only for the motivation of winning a prize. Most do not behave because they know it is expected of them to do so as students. Although there are some students who are taught the basics of respect and common rules from responsible adults; it is unfortunate many are not. Therefore, schools have to take extra time out of their educational curriculums to promote motivating incentives to push positive behavior and create a motivating learning environment.

However, there are two key individuals from modern American history who have experienced the struggle to obtain their education in different ways. Through each of their experiences, one can concur they each achieved their education not through motivating incentives; but through expectations.

The first individual whose educational experience relates to expectations rather than incentive was Malcolm X. In “Homemade Education,” the reader learns Malcolm was an incarcerated street hustler and civil rights activist who had a lack of a formal education. While incarcerated, Malcolm really had no incentive given to him by others to improve his education. However, he knew he had to improve; due to societal expectations of literacy skills. Malcolm then took it upon himself to gain more knowledge in his literacy and writing comprehension by copying down pages from a dictionary. No one else helped him with a motivating incentive to change his former criminal ways. It was a change he made for himself due to the expectations which he faced in society. Therefore, Malcolm is a true example of a person who achieved educational enrichment without a so-called motivating incentive.

The second individual whose educational experience relates to expectations rather than incentive was Helen Keller. Helen was both blind and deaf since she was a toddler, but she had made expectations for herself to succeed at grasping the concept of language. In “A Word for Everything,” Helen Keller with the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, accomplished the basic vocabulary of language with the help of physical surroundings in the environment. Even if Helen was not expected to learn the words of language due to her handicapped condition; she was still expected to communicate to others in some way. Fortunately, she had the guidance of her teacher to help her learn language and communicate. For example, Helen could not comprehend abstract words such as love, until she learned what the words water and doll meant. But, once she learned those basic words; Helen could then progress forward to abstract terms. Overall, Helen proved to those around her she could prevail against her handicap, and learn to communicate. Helen was assisted by her teacher to show her what her expectations were as a handicapped person in society. However, Helen learned through her own trial and error to integrate herself into the world of communication and language.

In conclusion, although the majority of students in today’s classrooms are being motivated to succeed by incentives; students should know what is expected of themselves to acquire, and apply the knowledge bestowed upon them from the institutions. If Malcolm X and Helen Keller could overcome the adversity they faced in society by bettering their own education levels with expectations rather than incentives; then students in schools should be able to do the same.