As a working professional in my field of instruction I can find numerous ways to motivate my classes. I'm naturally enthusiastic and I try to spread that to the students. I give real life examples of overcoming challenges using the skills from the course.
John M.
John,
Keep bringing the enthusiasm because as you know it really does make a difference on how students receive content. If you are excited about sharing they become excited about learning.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think by showing up to work ready and enthusiastic about what your teaching is the best way to keep your students motivated.
Motivating students requires enthusiasm for the subject, expressing a certain level of knowledge for the subject, and motivating through transference. All three of these aspects with keep students engaged and motivated, driving them towards their educational goals.
Instructors are viewed as the "experts" in the classroom. Students come in with specific expectations during their time in class. It is up to the instructors to recoginze what those goals and expectations are, what are the students' fears and what motivates them. An instructor must create the "balancing act" of motivation in the classroom to give students the motivation they need. This requires specific planning, creativity, passion and enthusiasm.
Melody,
Your last sentence says so much through the words you list. These are the action words we need to follow to be effective instructors.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Some of the ways that I am a motivating instructor are to always be positive. This can be accomplished by speaking as well as showing a positive attitude. For expample, I make it a habit to refer to your students (when addressing as a group)as "future certified ____ technicians" or whatever they will become upon graduation. The more they hear these positive words, the more they will believe them as much as you do!
English can often be a tough one when it comes to motivating the students who've come in with the certainty that they "absolutely hate English." On the first day I like to have them brainstorm some real-life examples of how writing skills are vitally important in the working world. We talk about how a well-written resume is far more impressive than one with grammatical errors, and we also discuss how even a well-written email to your boss can result in respect and a positive rapport.
Then I let them know that they've just mastered an important pre-writing strategy in the process (brainstorming)!
rewarding students with thier work by giving them praise for their success and good grades.
Darilyn ,
Good strategy because you are setting the stage for their success. If "future certified _______ technician" does not reach the end of the course successful it is on them since you have already given them the mental picture of how their title will read and the success that comes with that title.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Eduardo,
Students like recognition and reward for work well done. We need to make this a regular part of instructional strategy.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Recognize students abilities, form appropriate plans to move forward, and be enthusiastic immediately come to mind. A name for a true teacher is motivator.
Staying motivated as an instructor is an everyday task..specially when dealing with students who everyday have a reason to quit. I like to remind my students why coming to school is always a positive step towards changing what must be. Reminding them how they are wanted, needed, and care for as students. As an instructor, knowing that I am taking part of my students goals motivates me to want to be a better instructor.
Helping our students get motivated is sometimes a struggle. At the mid-point of their program they seem to be in 'check-out' mode. But as an instructor I show them all they have learned while still letting them know they have a way to go. I am very animated when I lecture and give them all my energy. Once I can 'infect' them with my enthusiasm, they too are motivated once more.
Jeffrey,
Your last sentence sums it up very well. We are motivators in relation to our role as learning leaders.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Norma,
When you have a student that was on the bubble in terms of leaving school and decides to stay in school and then graduate you have to feel great. You have made a difference in the life of that student and this is one of the major rewards of being a teacher.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Rebecca,
Like your style. You have enthusiasm and passion which are two essential elements of teaching success. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I give a 3-point quiz at the beginning of each class that is based on a small segment of their assigned reading. Students know ahead of time which section or pages the quiz will entail. You may not think a quiz sounds like a motivational tool, yet it is just that! I give six questions of one-half point each. The questions are word for word from the reading... no analysis required on these quizzes. Students feel proud to receive their grades and are rewarded for reading and studying the material. They feel ready for the exam when the time comes for testing.
Kathy
Kathy,
Thank you sharing this strategy with us. Many instructors struggle with how to get students into the assigned reading and this is a quick and efficient way to do so. You have created a culture that the students want to excel on these quizzes.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
By making sure you know your material and by being excited to teach it. Walk around the classroom while lecturing. Ask questions to make sure they are understanding the material. Have dicsussions. I can go on and on.
You have to show them that learning can be interesting and exciting. No matter child or adult, they want the person teaching them to be knowledgeable and exciting.
