Cristiane,
Thank you for these comments in relation to helping students to successfully overcome life challenges and keep moving forward in their course work and career development. They need help at times in being able to see beyond the current situation and realizing that they need to be in school for the long haul which will result in greater opportunities to develop as a person.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like to believe that life, issues or problems can be the focus of student motivation. We all talk about excitment and etc as motivation, but as I have seen before, some negative factors can contribute to increasing student motivation to continue a program and ultimately improve the personal situation if the instructor is "sensitive" enough to point out to the student that this negative situation could be just a stepping stone to make life better, thus using that to encourage and motivate the student rather than just "hey, it's going to be ok". The instructor can say life problems are a strong motivation that contribute to their eventual success.
Kristopher,
I agree and strive to develop rapport with each of my students. I am not always successful but I do know that I have tried hard to do so and for those with whom I have developed it we have a strong and respective relationship.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I personally feel that the rapport you develop with your students can be on of the strongest motivators. It's hard for one to feel motivated if that individual doesn't think the instructor will even notice if they miss class.
Colin,
Motivation is a powerful emotion and we need to strive to provide support to encourage student motivation in any way we can. You make a number of very good points about how to challenge students to make their own motivation a part of their daily student lives. We need to help them because as they get midway through courses they often get tired and worn down and start to lose the reason why they enrolled in the first place. This is the time to recapture the reason for enrollment and get them thinking about their futures and earning potential.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In orientation sessions I generally acknowledge that the students are starting classes for two main reasons: learning and earning. I tell them plainly that I know they aren't there for my sparkling personality, but, that they want a change in their lives through the learning opportunities on campus that tend to translate to earning opportunities out in the "real world." Their motivation, I believe, is 100% in their control.
Now, however, I think I need to amend that idea to include a portion of the students' motivation that is in the hands of my staff and a portion that is in the hands of my faculty. Motivation is mostly intrinsic to the students, but, I need to keep the external motivation factors more in focus.
This will also allow me to provide better management to the faculty and staff by setting proper expectations with them that they are responsible for motivating, or finding and utilizing motivating factors of, their students.
Denise,
I am a big supporter of this model because of the outcomes you cite. Mentors help to keep students in school and focused on their future.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Mentors are good student motivators. The adult student wants a mentor, someone who will teach them both the book and the real hands on.
Some of my best and unforgettable mentors were those who had years of practical and life experience. They had a way of teaching me both. They were still passionate about their chosen career and excited to lean new things every day.
Rosemary,
This the human factor of being an educator. We need to show respect to our students and work to earn respect in turn. In addition we need to show them that they are valued. By demonstrating such then rapport will be developed and the students will be engaged in the learning process.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Rod,
Good points and points we need to make at different times throughout a course. When they become worn down during a course a reminder about how their success can impact the lives of their families can be enough to get them fired up again and completing the course successfully.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
As educators it is our job to make sure that we provide a robust and exciting environment everyday, with relevant lessons that make our students want to return the next day. Showing our students that we care by not only learning their names but by using them in class every day, and also by learning something about them as individuals, will help to build the foundation for a trust relationship. We then will have a much better chance of learning what their personal motivating factors are; social, external, personal advancement, escape/stimulation, or cognitive interest.
Students can be motivated by expected outcomes. What I mean by that is if they see what the course, or degree will lead them to (new career) they can be highly motivated to succeed. With that said students are motivated by changing their life situation for themselves, their family, and children as well.
Jason,
Like the way you balance your instructional approach between the two groups. This way both are learning and contributing to the course. I am sure this approach results in satisfied and well prepared students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Some students stand at the door if they don't feel they are immediately good at something. Other students will only give topics much thought if they haven't been challenged in that way before. Monitoring those two types is how I keep students motivated. I don't want to placate the first group, and I don't want to dumb it down for the second. It's not easy to do this, and often the only way to keep a reign on it is class discussions to share and relate information. The students in the first group excel when they feel they have profficiency, the second, when they are stimulated.
Motivation is great! The most important thing that I can do, is to help my students believe in themselves. Self worth and confidence are so important. They must believe!
Dan,
Instructor passion and energy does show up early in a class session doesn't it? You are right about wanting instructors that can grab the attention of students as the class opens and then maintain it throughout. These are the teachers that we all like to have.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I look for teachers that make students hungry to learn. The more active students are in a classroom and contributing to their learning the more learning takes place. If the students share the instructor's passion to learn, I invariably can see it in 5 minutes of observation.
I find that some of the best motivation I can give students is through the successes of prior students in the field, and offering motivating examples of how recent grads have succeded in the field, and how they apply wha tthey have learned in the program.
Brant,
I agree. We need to bring enthusiasm for teaching and passion about our content. This will help the students to see that we are serious about what we are teaching and that we are helping them to move forward toward their career goals.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I believe when a student senses a buy-in of the instructor's desire for their success is a strong factor that contributes to the student's motivation.
