Audrey,
Good strategy for involving students in the learning process. Unfortunately we all have that unmotivated student that challenges us. I do the best I can with that student but if he/she chooses not to become involved then it is that person's loss. I won't carry the blame for their lack of dedication and effort. I have too many dedicated and hard working students to concentrate on.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I think it is very important to not only know why students are in school, but why they are taking my particular course. If I can find a way to relate what I am presenting to a student's course of study or something he or she is interested in, the level of engagement in the classroom increases greatly. Unfortunately, I sometimes encounter a student who I struggle to motivate, no matter how hard I try.
Thank you.
Dr. Gloria Cardenas Quijano
Sanford Brown Institute
Joseph,
I am sure your students like to help with the demos. I know mine do. They work really hard to get all of the content procedures down so they are prepared for their demonstrations. They really get into them and can't wait until their turn comes around again.
Good method to use.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Creating an interesting enviroment on the class , is not just lecture and taking notes , I like to use brainstorms , real cases , pictures with color , and I keep them with motivation to ask question about the material .
I use the same technique for pastry school. I keep the student highly motivated with demos and showing new techniques. I also have the students come up the demo area and assist with the demo's and sometimes do the demo's themselves showing the other students that it's not as hard as they all think it is, putting them more at ease and making them want to come in and learn more.
Positive reenforcements as well as visuals in the form of graphs showing progress toward goals are ways of motivation.
Gloria,
This is an important part of "connecting the dots" for students. They start to see the end result of all their effort through the examples you are giving them.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Shelley,
Both of these strategies are winners. The students like to see application of the content through case studies and guest speakers, especially program graduates. They start to see themselves in the same position as the graduates they are listening to.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Arthur,
Good strategies to employ. You are offering support to your students in a variety of ways and that keeps them engaged for the long haul.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I give them examples of how they can use their knowledge in their particular field of study and therefor enticing them to think as profesional in their field and demonstrating how the subject matter is truly relevant to their career
Giving them real life scenarios and having guest speakers reinforce what you have taught them.
I attempt to motivate students by periodically measuring their performance, providing timely feedback to them, help them celebrate their successes and encourage them to improve on their weaknesses. I try to have them be proud of their accomplishments within the classroom.
No matter what the topic I always include some component that shows the relevancy to their lives and career. There are also always assignments in which they get to select a topic of their interest.
I motivate my students by sharing my own work-related experiences that I have where I have used knowledge I gained in the classroom. This motivates students to learn and shows them that the course is worthwhile and they become excited about the material that is being presented. I think as long as students find the material relevant and useful, they will be motivated to learn about it.
Most students seem to respond best to positive reinforcement and through hands on demonstration. It helps the students become comfortable with the material and takes away the fear of failure. It also gives them the confidence to take calculated risks and find innovative solutions.
DeOnn,
As you know students like real life experiences and stories that help them see relevance to what they are learning. So the more you can give content and then support it with examples or case studies the greater the engagement is going to be.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Andrea,
Sounds like a great way to start a course off. I know you are going to enjoy the results of this approach as well as an increased development of rapport with your students.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Some of the techniques that I use is to start the course with real-life examples or situations that they may have experienced or have heard about in the news. Example: HR Management - the first class we start out talking about HR related issues that may have experienced or watch a video about a popular case.
By gaining a heightened awareness of my role as a model of professional demeanor, through ED101, I will introduce myself by sharing more details about my experience. I now plan to add the element of excitement I truly feel about my experience and how I hope to impart this same excitement to the students. Practicing my presentation to sharpen skills will also allow me to progress beyond new instructor nerves and convey to the students a genuine affinity for the course content and positive attitude towards their presence & participation.
