One of the most effective techniques to help increase motivation in the classroom is to promote open communication and discussion.
I think that talking to the students about our personal experiences that we have had in the field are very helpful in motivating the students for class.
Shelia,
Your last sentence really says it all for adult learners. They need to know that they have access to their instructor and that their instructor is there to help them be successful if they will put forth the effort. This really gets them excited about the course and their own career success.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Rebecca,
Yes - yes. Successful grads make powerful impacts on the students. They can see themselves in those graduates. I use them a lot in my classes for the reasons you stated.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
In my classroom I give the students praise for what they do. I have a very distinctive voice and am kinda hyper and excitable, so I'm able to keep their attention. One of my favorite things to do is to give an air five. Instead of going to the student's seat, I'll give a cheer and throw up a high five. We also give awards for achievement. One would think that this would not mean much to an adult learner, but my students are always happy to get awards, and they look forward to it. I also build a rapport with the students, so that they can confide in me if they have something going on in their personal life that distracts them from school work. I try to give positive input, which usually results in a turnaround. I've found that in the career college environment the best motivational tools are actually being available and letting the students know that you are there for them.
Having grad come in to talk bout their success, also externs to give students idea on how the knowledge they are getting will be applied to real world in a very short time.
On day one, I talk about how the skills they will acquire will translate into the job they will perform through real world examples and experiences. I may even show them the many options that are available to them in their field of interest and how much money can be made from acquiring and applying these skills.
Maybe if you have time, the instructor can ask students to share why they are taking the course.Then at various point along the course, the instructor can relate back to students reasons for being there and show correlation between the lecture and their personal objectives.
Guest speakers and real ways in which they will apply the material.
Yes, career colleges have a fast pace environment, so i take unusual attention to details , follow along the students eyes, whether students are feeling tired about the information, so coloring the environment , using videos, chatting for a bit, saying a joke, anything that gets them back to stride.
As a computer and networking technology instructor one of my favorite techniques to facilitate student's in maintaining their interest and motivation is on site work.
At our campus students preform the bulk of help desk level IT support. This allows them to apply what they have learned in a "real world" environment. It also re-enforces the concepts of professionalism required in an actual IT position.
Student often comment on how they were not sure going in how they could fix any given issue but their pride of accomplishment once they do provides them with an immediate feedback of pride in their personal development.
An example of effective motivation techniques would be letting the students know how your job as their instructor motivates you everyday, because you are helping them get to where they want to be by accomlishing their goals. Also constantly giving the students positive feedback and offering ways for them to improve for the better
One thing career college instructors can do to motivate their students is to give them direct examples as to how the subject matter will be valuable in the real world.
Also, by appealing to what they already know, using examples from the students own experiences, the material becomes more relatable and less foreign to the students.
Finally, every person likes to feel important and valued. By learning students names and a little about where they come from you create a connection with that student that opens up a much more positive learning environment.
I always ask the students what their goals are for my class, their entire time at the school, and after they graduate. I ask them to share with the class on the first day with introductions. I also have them write down their goals. I put the goals away for the term, then bring them out at the end to see if they have reached the class goals. I also bring them out at graduation for the students to see how far they have come and to see that goals can be accomplished with hard work!
Having them verbalize how they will be able to apply what they're learning now to their future goals.
by inputting their field experience into the topic that they are discussing about in class
I like to remind students that "they can do this". That the lessons we are covering are managable and they will be successful. When they fell, going in, that they can do the assignment they already see success and go for it.
Gotta move around the room. Even when I'm doing a demonstration-oriented lesson, I still find time to get up and move around and be animated and excited about the material. It stretches the attention span quite a lot.
I also like to ask a lot of questions (Socratic method) even when it's a technical demonstration. I stop and ask them what I should do next. Anything you can do to engage the student goes straight to motivation.
True -- it's difficult to feel motivated if one's leader is not motivated themselves.
William,
Good examples of how to offer variety to what you are teaching. This really helps to engage the students as you know. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
