In my experience, a good refocusing technique is finding a balance between left and right brain activities. Especially in an arts program where skills are both technical and creative, a good refocusing technique is to simply stop talking and starting doing more. It's amazing how doing motivates more talking later on, and recharges batteries very quickly. Your thoughts?

I often find it that motivation starts from connecting your experience with the desire of the student. Finding why he or she came for in the first place and connecting the material through those reasons is really a straight connection between the student, the subject matter and the instructor. What are your thoughts?

Within the module the idea that student learners are primarily autonomous was brought up. I don't know if I completely agree with that, considering that previous modules have identified how easily our students can leave. I do agree they are somewhat idependent in nature; however, where is the disconnect and what can we do with the needy students?

I have been in the teaching field for 3 years, and I feel that I have yet to have to recharge my battery; however I think it's due to the everchanging material I use in the classroom. Teaching English, I have the opportunity to bring in new material to get the points across. What other methods do you find helpful?

It seems that one part overlooked and/or given little attendance is the idea of ethical behavior and retention. When do we cross an ethical boundary when keeping students in the program or school?

I understand the basic needs of our students especially those of an older age and those with disabilities; however, my questions stems from those students who really don't have a motivation to learn. I have had instances in which I feel my level of accommodation is above and beyond what is necessary, especially for those students who may get what they want from the school and leave 3/4 of the way through the term. So where is the line? Do I as an isntructor try to accommodate all needs, or when I feel my moral obligation has run dry, should I quit?

I couldn't agree more about the nature of a successful classroom setting. I always try to reinvent myself and not follow old patterns. A classroom is never a one-size-fits-all. However, there are times when being nice and creative is not enough. Especially if there are (and there are) students that for some reasons learned that in order to succeed, all they have to do is please their teachers. At some point the instructor must reflect not only a flexible and knowledgeable academic authority but also a metaphor for the industry. Students in a trade school setting must understand that the industry will not wait for them, so along with being respectful, cheering, and attentive, an instructor must be able to demonstrate a reflection of the real world to the students. Especially the ones that are still not ready to face the real world. In my experience I found that I sometimes needed to "get down to business" and give a, perhaps cold, reality slap.. What do you people think?

In a creative/technical program of study, such as an art form coupled with industry relevance (i.e. music and sound relating to technology) there are other possible frustrations and challenges relating to student motivation and retention. One of the most obvious one is the general notion that one can simply 'miss the train' if you don't start young. I may relate to an age difference issue in the classroom but it is not limited to that since it can certainly happen in a classroom of students of a similar age group. What I have found as a good approach is to give the class a reality check and overlay it with the class objectives to put things into perspective. The most important aspect for the student to recognize is that, yes, in order to be a professional violin player one needs to practice a lot and probably from a young age, but that is not the scope of this artistic endeavor. A lot of students fear that anything in the arts involve perfection from a young age and it is simply untrue. In a creative program such as music technology, for instance, it is important to clarify that the skill set taught isn't primarily age sensitive.

I find that most of my students that struggle with the course material have things of a personal nature that are serving as a barrier to the learning process. With younger students it tends to be social issues and with older students it tends to be time issues due to family or work. I do not want to invade a student's personal privacy to discover what their learning struggles may be. I find that if I can't get the student to open up about personal issues, I am at a loss on how to help them. Any strategies to approach personal issues would be greatly appreciated!

I find that no matter the age of my students, many are lacking in critical thinking skills. Often they can't apply reason to a problem to figure out a solution -- for example, if a knob is missing on a piece of equipment, but there are 5 other removeable knobs that are exactly the same on that same piece of equipment, how can you figure out what the setting is on the control that's missing a knob? Beyond the technical skills they need to do the job, they need problem solving skills. How do other instructors address this issue?

Motivation to me as an instructor is being the coach and the cheerleader for the students. The coach gives the instruction and the cheerleader encourages them to continue......

I need to remember some times to step back and refocus my self for the sake of my students and my self as well as their experience within my courses.

I have already increased my own knowlegde for how I will approach some of the adult learners in my courses moving forward.

there are all different kinds of motivation, money, praise ect.

it's easy to get caught up in the moment or moments of the day.. fall back, regroup and punt. Learn from it, failure is the best teacher!!!! But, Learn from it!!

reading the students or ( employee ) right away is so important in management or teaching. Knowing your starting point and threshold- how hard to push.

This is so great. It's so true, the diversity information is so helpful, where their from, at what age and why they are here. A great starting point for a learning relationship!!

What about letting students know they can contact you the instructor for extra help if needed?

I found this a very instructive edition through the application of the concepts expertise, enthusiasm, empathy and clarity.

The above word can be defined by many terms which are more familiar to both students and instructors.