Being a Motivator
I have a lot of encouragement towards education and its benefits to share with my students. I also have impressive examples of success. What are some other motivating factors.
Motivation is one of the key components, in a true work environment or classroom. It encourages your workers and most of the students. But, we to have to been motivated when we deliver the information to the student.
Danny
I agree, if you are not fully rested it would surely be hard to motivate well.
I always give praises to students who do a great job. However, I have to also be honest to tell students when they are not doing things correctly but in a manner not hurting their feelings which motivate them to do things correctly.
That's a great way to motivate. I call those, "commercial breaks" when the students appear to need a break from the lecture.
I can often motivate students by telling them about an experience that I have had in the work place and relating that to the course materials.
Encouraging students is a motivator, as is, just listening to your students. I find lending an ear is really important and students appreciate it wholeheartedly.
You have to have a passion to teach and work well with others.
I like to motivate my students by showing them something that is new and would be hard for them to accomplish and then showing them an easy way to accomplish the task
I agree, staying upbeat is so important for the instructor.
Even with a busy schedule, I make sure I'm well rested before
entering the class room so I'm setting the example.
the commonality of the discussion is obviously the reccognition factor... that the student is being recocognized by their person in charge...[i.e. parent,teacher,boss]...hopefully we are all paying attention to this... I say "Good Job" on all attempted projects...correct later!!!!!!!!!
Motivator? i allways give praise to the students who try even if the work is somtimes wrong,
this I find helps motivate them produce better work and encourages them to try harder.
Hi Jon,
Thank you for some excellent information about how you see students progressing in a short time span. The methods you are using help to keep the students focused on the progress being made and that the can see evidence of such by looking at the grade sheet and their skill development.
Gary
I teach Harley-Davidson Electrical Diagnostics at the MMI campus. I find that anything electrically related tends to be out of the comfort zone of most people. The mere fact that they cannot see it or touch it tends to be the biggest challenge. I agree with Martha, show the progression of the day to day lab progress. What I find is that they do improve drastically over a 3 week session. The grade spreadsheet is a valuable positive reinforcement tool. They can actually see their efficiencies increase with each time they perform a designated project. I also agree that we are in an era where the younger students really respond to positive reinforcement daily. The Why Me generation seems to need the positive reinforcement verbal atta boys. I always try to come to work with a positive humble teaching attitude and also use alot of basic analogies to ensure that they understand the topic. Thanks... Jon Roppe
I always find someting posative to say to my students, Even if they did some wrong. By doing so, i'm giving them something to build on. It encourages them to try agin/do more because they WANT to here more posative reinforcement.
Hi Martha,
Other factors that get students motivated are success related to classroom/laboratory progress. By showing students the progress they have made they get excited especially when they are wearing down about three fourths through the course. It is always amazing that they don't realize they have learned as much as they have. They need to have this pointed out to them and then they will refocus on finishing the course.
Personal encouragement is another way of getting students motivated. Just a few words of encouragement can do wonders for some students. They know you know they are trying to do their best and they want to please you with their work.
Gary
