Student Motivation
Motivating students is one of the most challenging and most rewarding aspects of teaching.
There is always at a student in a class that initially is not interested in school or the particular subject matter. I have found that talking with the student about individual interest and identifying aspects of the class that reflects this interest is effective in changing the student’s attitude.
What other methods of student motivation are instructors using?
I break the students into groups and have the students read relevant articles in class and present their findings to the other students.
Hi Nicole,
Not unusual for students to do this when a student has missed a lot of class or not done the work. They like to get into blame shifting because it is never their fault that they aren't having success in the class. Once they own the problem and with encouragement they can be successful in the course because they own both the failures and the successes. It is a choice they have to make--success or failure.
Gary
Thank you very much for your feedback! I do strive to provide positive feedback to all of my students. In this case, I believe it was misconstrued as favoritism because this particular student missed so much class and might have been a little biased for not doing as well as he could have in the course. I will definitely be more aware of the distribution of my praise in my next classes. I try to encourage and motivate my students throughout the course.
Hi Nicole,
Not exactly sure how your encouragement gets misconstrued as favoritism. If it is because you just encourage certain students then make sure you provide some positive feedback to every student. This will provide balance to your feedback. An instructor needs to be consistent in the type of feedback and reinforcement given as well as in providing feedback and reinforcement to all students. Some students will be more in the forefront of the course because of their abilities and/or talent so it is easy to provide input to them. Just make sure to draw in those students that are not as vocal or upfront so they see their contributions and projects as being of the same value as all of the other students.
Gary
My classes are full of creative-minded students, so I try to connect the real world application or example to the course material. Then, I have them use their creativity in a project, and they present using the terminology from the course. It's at that moment that I see their faces light up and the little light bulb go off. My problem isn't with motivation, it's with the way that encouragement gets misconstrued with favoritism. How can I avoid this?
I find that defining value to the student is key in motivating students, some are motivated by money, and some by what they can do with the knowledge that they will obtain. Certainly applying their knowledge to real world situations is key and I would agree that engauging the students in activities is also important. Sometimes understanding what a student would like to do in the end and finding a way to relate it to the subject material can also be helpful. Many students have different goals in life especially when talking about college students, I try to focus in on the ones who don't realize the value, because they are the ones that are in jeopardy of being lost in the end.
For me it is important to show a love of the subject I am teaching. I teach nursing and I get excited about new advances and the technology. I attempt to motivate students with personal learning experiences and talking about situations that inspire a love of the field. I encourage students to share their "ah-hah!" moment when they have had a personal or professional epiphany. I want to know what motivates them personally and professionally.
I't is important to comunicate with your students about the benefits of being in school. I always give student positive feedback to questions as well. Also, I talk to students about their interst and I give them real life scenarios and experiences that they can realate to and I encourage them to set some career goals.
Hi Del,
I have found that hands-on projects motivate my students. Doing the reasearch to complete the project initiates the motivation needed to learn the subject matter at hand. Seeing the various projects in the classroom seeds the knowledge through oral presentations and the visuals associated with it.
I too sometimes have student do presentations (the use of Powerpoints). It really gives them a chance to practice skills that they will utilize in the real world.
Hi Del,
I have used individual projects where the student can research or create their own project. Another is to have the student present a demonstration or mini-lecture on a topic they are comfortable with. The bottom line is that you try to engage the student to the point he/she feels invested in the class and what is occurring. I strive to get them to see the ROI (Return on Investment) in what they are learning.
Gary
