Upbeat, Fun, Interesting, Positive
As mentioned in the training module, you MUST be excited about what you are teaching. You must show that excitement to your students and you must get them to buy into the excitement.
In Interpersonal Relations I take examples from my own life both at work and personally to explain certain concepts. This also indicates that nobody is perfect. As the class progresses I ask students to share a real or made-up description about a situation that needs to be handled interpersonally. Often the class provides the analysis and the feedback. This really gets them engaged. My topics are very easy to come up with activities like this. Could you provide the same activity in a math, chemistry, or English course with the same success?
Know and be able to express your experience ansd excitement about your area of expertise.
Hi Elizabeth,
Go coach. This is what makes Team Education work. Getting everyone involved, motivated and putting forth effort for a common goal.
Gary
first of all I think that all great instructors are like coaches. They rally the team, they look for pieces of their students that can become better as a student. They know what makes the student tick and students want to come to class. To see a student on the edge of their seats and wanting to learn from your class means that you are doing something right. It is fun to learn.
You can be a motivator for students by bringing your day to day experiences and enthusiasm to the table. By hearing these experiences it may draw more attention and drive to achieve more by the learners.
Hi Joe,
This is a great strategy. It is a win win for everyone because of the information that is shared as well as the confidence that is gained as a result of sharing it.
Thanks for sharing it with us. I know it will be of help to other instructors.
Gary
Gary,
During my very first class sessions, especially during the live 3-day boot camp setting that prepares students to challenge a National certification examination, I have each student prepare a written introduction to deliver during the first class segment. It is a little like a fill-in-the-blank form that asks for specific information, like whay they are there; does their current employer support their efforts, etc. That way, when everyone in ready,they are actually listening to each student introduce themselves as they talk about the issues that are important to them. The level of self-disclosure is often more complete and thought out and the student shares information that truly matters to them. Thus, other students have information that can be used by them to help motivate fellow classmates and I have access to a great deal of information to incorporate into my own motivation strategies. Joe
Maintain enthusiasm and a committment to quality even during the "valleys" of the term. Get to know the students so that you are aware of their individual motivations. You can then speak to them better about their struggles and successes.
Hi Carla,
Great advice for every instructor to follow. I get excited about teaching just reading your comments. We do have great jobs in addition to the responsibility we carry as a result of being instructor. We impact lives and we can never forget that.
Gary
Pay attention to your students! When they start fading, immediately engage them in role play, discussion, etc. to pull them back into the classroom. Be a cheerleader!! Praise them every day for something! Surprise them with treats, stickers, an inpromptu game for which prizes could be won. MOVE--don't stand in one place!! LAUGH!!! If you're excited, they'll be excited. If you're bummed out by what you're teaching, they will be, as well.
First you need to love what you do and second it's the students that motivate me. when I see that they are enjoying what they are learning it encourages me.. So I believe we do that for eachother.
I prefer using past experiences in my field and listen to the students experiences as well. I like to smile alot and I am just a natural energetic person except on rainy gloomy days :)
It is important that we are motivators to our students. How can they be successful if they are not motivated.
Students need to see that instructors are not only knowledgeable, but enthusiastic about the topics they teach. Also, showing interest in students success is very important.
I can motivate students by allowing them the opportunity to relate past experiences to course content. They will retain more information if they can relate it to a specific experience.
By offering clear evaluations that offer ways for the student to improve their work is a way to be a motivating instructor. Also, timely evaluations so that the student is able to see the results of the work quickly.
Enthusiasm and passion for what you are teaching is contagious. These are really important characteristics for instructors that teach classes that are manditory for a student to take in order to get to the next level of their program. It is quite the reward for me to see a student go from "just get me through this" to " do you teach another class in this area?" That's motivating to me which in turn feeds my enthusiasm and passion for what I do.
I get to see real excitement when the students actively participate in discussion, hands on skill, and use of their experience. this offers a validation to them.
