My natural tendency is to appear calm and in control at all times, but I'm afraid that this can appear to students as a lack of excitement about the material. I am working on improving "my style" to make it more animated and enthusiastic. Do you have any tips on making this process more effective?
Roberto,
You use a key work which is realistic in relation to goals. We need to set goals for our students that are based upon the standards of the field that they are preparing to enter. This way they will know the expectations of the field and be better prepared to meet those expectations upon graduation.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Giving the students realistic goals, encourage students in the classroom, share with the students your ideas.
Mabelle Joy,
This is such a good strategy to follow. This inspires and encourages your students on a regular basis which is needed because they wear down as they move through the course. They need "perking" up now and then to help them keep their eyes on the end goal of being successful in the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I use inspirational quotations and expound on them and ask students' opinion or experiences that they might want to share that can be related to the quotation. I also use what I have learned from famous books like 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey and The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck.
Susan,
That is one of my favorites as well because it so explains how we can continue to fail if we don't do anything different. The easiest thing to do is fail because with failure you can blame others and you do have to put forth any effort or make any decisions. I try as I know you do to burn into the minds of my students that they need to stay enrolled and coming to class no matter what is going on outside of school. By coming to class at least they have a place to be successful and step away from whatever they are facing if only for a few hours.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I try to encourage students to persevere through struggles that they may be having. We all encounter obstacles, but giving up should not be an option. I try to reinforce the fact that it will all be worth it in the end, and they can then look back at themselves and feel proud. One of my favorite sayings: "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten." Author unknown.
Natalie,
Like your definition of motivation potential on all three levels. This is what we should strive to model as we work with our students and share our content.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
You can be a motivating Instructor through your energy and passion for the subject you are teaching. You can be a motivating Instructor by being knowledgeable about the subject matter beyond the textbook or other college granted material or curriculum. You can be a motivating Instructor by inspiring and challenging your students to move beyond their current level and in showing your belief in their ability to do so.
I can relate to this. With some students it si easy. Then there are others that even the small goal setting can be a momumental task to achieve.
Sonya,
I like all of these strategies. I use them in my classes as well and I get great results because they help students to see the value of what I am teaching them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The ways I motivate my students is by testimony with my experience, my graduated students and having a speaker in the same field come in and talk to my class.
Dodi,
They need reinforcement on a regular basis because they have taken a big risk in coming back to school. Often they are not sure they can be successful so the more early success they have in a course the more they will respond to greater challenges as the course progresses.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I remind them of the reasons they are back at school, that helps to keep them on track a lot of times. I try to encourage them as much as I can, so often we are quick to point out wrong doing so I try to remember to let them know when they did something well.
Denise, I also teach a Class from 6 to 11 PM. Blueprint Reading, Math, Machine Fundamentals. I see some nodding into sleep. They have worked a long day and still have several hours ahead of them. I try to draw the "sleepy" students deeper into the conversation to re-energize them through active engagement.
Alicia,
I like your point about "ownership" of learning. With many students coming to use with the idea they are "owed" a grade because they paid tuition to come to college it is necessary to reinforce that grades as well as success is earned not gifted. Once they realize this then enhanced learning can occur.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Cynthia,
We instructor live for those "aha" moments. So the better prepared we can be and the more professional we present ourselves the more opportunities we are going to have to experience such moments.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Being a motivating instructor requires attention to each students reason for being in the class and or for pursuing their education further. Once an instructor taps into why a students is there it becomes easier to help motivate a student. Instructors should create an learning environment that is conducive to learning, have activities and teaching tools that are capable of touching several learning styles, respect the students, and draw the students into the teaching by allowing the students to teach one another. I like to guide the students and I find that putting the burden of their own learning mostly in their hands usually motivates them to do well and continue to strive.
In my experience the most important way I can be a motivating instructor is to show up and be there ... by this I mean come prepared physically (not being sluggish in my presentation), mentally (being prepared for the topic at hand) and emotionally (come in ready to teach and share and exchange with the students!)I find teaching a new challenge every day and every day the goal for me is to engage the students and get that "aha" moment when the subject and the realization connect!
Alan,
You hit upon two key words that help to engage students. Passion for one's field and enthusiasm for teaching content is the combination needed to "sell" the course to the students. You are impacting the lives and future of your students with this approach and I wish you continued teaching success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
