Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, contemporary behavioral scientists contend that exceptional educators provide students with a contextual sense of their intrinsic worth by creating academic environments that engage three overarching human needs: "autonomy," the freedom to make choices and determine one's future; "mastery," the ability to learn and develop expertise; and "purpose," the quest for meaning in one's life. The primary question today is no longer "How can students be inspired and motivated?" but rather "How can educators be deterred from diminishing--even destroying--intrinsic student motivation and classroom morale through unproductive policies and practices?"