I think that being real with my students is a genuine way to motivate them. On occasion, I like to give my students choices. I may give them a choice between 2 different lectures or I may offer up a choice between a smaller quiz or a larger quiz with open notes. I feel that they gain a small piece of satisfaction in helping to shape their grade.
I also like to provide examples and stories from the field (I am also a full-time retail manager)that display the usefulness of the education they are working toward.
I try hard to get to know my class so that I can congratulate them, thank them, and relate to what they are going through.
Sometimes the best way to motivate a student is to help them assess their goals. If their goals are not realistic, they might become discourages, and lose interest. If you, as an instructor, can get them to reassess their goals, and change them into steps more easily done, they would become more enthusiastic to get their goals accomplished.
Carmen,
How do you do this?
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Wendy,
Thank you for your comments because they are inspiring in themselves since you have reviewed many of the challenges our students face and yet there they are day after day striving to complete their program. This is why I love going to graduation because I get to see and meet the family members that are behind why the students worked so hard to make it. I am always on a high for a few days after graduation and this helps me to work even harder at my instructional improvement. We are impacting the lives of students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
By acknowledging students.
I resemble this remark. When I look at a good college library and see shelves of books dedicated to motivation, the topic seems overwhelming. It's almost as intimidating as leadership! I think the best we can do is to remember the fears/insecurities we had as students and to try to help students through those rough spots.
Many of the career college students I've encountered are facing all sorts of challenges I didn't have to deal with: single parenthood, transportation issues, trying to juggle work and school with parenting, etc. This list goes on. Basically, I am so impressed with these people and the struggle they go through to improve their lives that I do all sorts of things to keep barriers out of their way.
Kristine,
Right you are about the love for variety. If we don't change the delivery format or flow of the class we will lose the students after a short while. It each in 6 hour blocks so it takes a lot of variety to keep them engaged for that long of time.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I use alot of work experiences that have a comedic or life lesson. Students relate to multiple ways of teaching. I try to use different combinations of styles to reinforce materials. Students love variety!
Laurel,
One of the things I have enjoyed over the years as a professional educator is that my population changes every few weeks. I get to learn from and share with new people all the time. This has been so rewarding for me. You are right about how much we can learn from our students even when some of them are a challenge to us.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Every instructor has "challenging" students. The more time we take learning these students interests and reasons for choosing their career path, the more chance we have of motivating them to succeed. Sometimes school is the only good thing that has happened to these students that day. We need to listen to them and talk to them. We can learn a lot from our students.
Dave,
Right you are. Last session I taught six sections of the same course and I had one section that was a challenge to say the least. I had younger students that did not want to be in school, in the course, on planet earth, nor anywhere else except in front of screen playing video games. Had to work hard in that class to get them engaged and seeing value to what was being taught. By being consistent as you mention that was possible and the course turned out very well.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think that a motivated instructor starts with being interested in their field. Once you become the expert in your field, you've gained student attention. I believe that once you have that, you will flow through direct instruction with more enthusiasm and thus creating a motivating instructor. One that shows the possibility of attaining knowledge regardless of background and other barriers seen or observed in the students.
People are people - there are all different types of apples in the basket. Sometimes your get a great group and other times you get a few "uninterested or unmotivated". I just stay the course and always BE CONSISTENT. Sometimes the movtivated students will influence some of the slackers.
Sharon,
I think this is a service that you provide your students. Being honest with them and their goals helps them to get a realistic picture of what success means in their field. Then they can decide if they are going to invest the time and effort it takes to acquire success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I always believe honesty is the best policy. Students do have unrealistic goals at times. I have to bring them back to reality but still let them know they can create a goal that they will be able to achieve.
That is brilliant! I am going to start using that too!
Conchi
Rita,
Enthusiasm is catching as you know so the more you can bring it to class and share it the greater your student participation will be. Plus your enthusiasm helps to make the class that much better.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I always arrive with a smile on my face and include my personal enthusiasm in what we are about to discuss. I include scenarios about their recent clinical applications with patients and how we integrated our lecture content into what we do in clinic with patients.
Herbert,
You are blessed to have such a heart for your students. Your mother was right as evidenced by your success in the classroom and with your students. You are bringing the human factor to class with you each and every time it meets and your students relate to that.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Ways that I motivate students follow along the lines discussed in this lesson. I guess I'm lucky in that I have a great deal of energy (though sometimes I push myself too hard). But, the students see it, and I find that seems to motivate them. I also know my subject very well and have been teaching it for nearly thirty years. The students respond well as they realize that I really do know what I'm talking about. Yet, I have constantly updated my knowledge and keep up with the current trends through journals and periodically returning to the classroom as a student. That keeps me fresh as well. But, I think that the one thing I do that is more important than the others: I care about the students. I have nearly 200 students every semester. Yet, I find ways of getting to know each student in a way that I can identify with them and connect with them on some level. My mother always told me that I have a heart for people. Maybe that's why I've been a teacher for so many years. Anyway, if you love what you do, the students will know and they will respond.
