motivation is the key for any student
Hi Norman,
Thank you for your comments about how to provide positive and supportive input to students. As you mentioned this is so important because this is how instructors are going to be able to keep the students focused and engaged throughout the course.
Gary
Sometimes I have to give a "gimme quiz". That is a quiz so easy thet I know my struggling students will do well. Many times this can be the self push they need to get over the hump. I take time to praise them on their accomplishment and tell them "see, I knew you could do it"
You need to reinforce constructive thinking with a positive attitude and supportive comments even if the constructive thinking has an incorrect result. By being positive and nonthreatening, you encourage the student to learn what they did not know and to present more constructive thinking in the future. You need to reinforce thinking and participation to encourage future thinking and participation.
Hi David,
Your point about having private conversations with students that need some guidance about their efforts or attendance is the good. No one likes being dressed down in front of others, but with a few well chosen words in private you can help shape the future success of a student on the bubble of failure.
Gary
Hi Brian,
I agree feedback must be honest and accurate so the student can benefit from it. By being constructive in your criticism you are showing the students how they can improve to the betterment of themselves and their ability to be successful in their career.
Gary
Hi David,
Great way to draw a student into the class. By knowing something about him and his background you were able to do so to the benefit of the entire class.
Gary
I also make positive comments when I grade quizzes and projects. Seeing a red mark to show they got an answer wrong can be seen very negatively, so I always pepper in positive comments on things they got right, so the red pen doesn't get a bad reputation... ;)
I agree with this in theory, though I lean more toward positive reinforcement whenever possible and don't really go much for any negative comments, though I do believe in being positive and giving the right answers or challenging them to find the right answers within the positive reinforcement. I don't believe in any "wagging of the finger", but I will have private conversations where I express concerns about tardiness or absenteeism (sp?)....
A proper balance of positive and negative reinforcement helps to motivate. Most often I use positive reinforcements for proper technique or for being creative. But sometimes, I feel the need to bring the students back into reality with some constructive criticism. When done from an honest and fair place the student tends to assimiliate the material and grow from the experience.
Great example. I've had the same experience. One of my students seemed very detached and off in la la land when I was lecturing...and the first chance I had to use his background as relevant to the discussion, I asked for his input and when he answered, I made sure I gave a hardy, "great example!", and I noticed he was paying attention more after that.
My course has a Laboratory portion that reinforces the lecture component. The problem is motivating the students thru multiple repeatitive mock ups. The average student believes he has it once but doesn't understand that after once retention isn't fully set.
I feel that when students get positive reinforcement thru things like good grades they then feel like they are actually learning the material and are motivated to keep learning more more.
I teach in a very hands on enviroment. We do things over and over to get it correct. When I do need to correct a student with work, I always come back to them with something positive. I try to end with positive feedback whenever possible. I feel ending on a positive note leaves them feeling better for the next session.
My classes are very hands on, I let the students know daily if they are getting things right or where they need to concentrate. I try to end every class on a positve note and thank them for coming in.
It makes them feel confident in their ability to learn new material and assures them success in your class.
It's possible to use both positive and negative reinforcement dependent upon the situation.
By reinforcing successes in the classroom the students build confidence in their ability to learn. I usually have several small quizzes on the topic that the studentsare ably to correct the wrong answers on. This reinforces their confidence and motivates them to succeed on the big exams.
The biggest reinforcement I have found for my students is to provide instant or quick feedback. If you wait too long to provide feedback on an assignments, students do get very frustrated.
Hi Elizabeth,
You are right on with your comments. Students like to know as soon as possible on how they did on an assignment or quiz. The quicker we can get the results to them the quicker they can make adjustments in their efforts if they need to make improvements or chance to achieve success.
Gary
