I tend to give lots of examples during lectures of skills that the students will use in their new career choice. By giving them more information about what they will be doing will get them motivated because they will then have something to work for.
Hi Nastassia,
Good points all. You have to keep the students engaged and focused and your approach is making that happen. Keep up the good work. You are making a difference in the lives of your students.
Gary
Hi Susan,
Good strategy in using your career experiences to illustrate key concepts in the course. Students as you know really like these stories. I use them a lot because they are remembered in connection with the content that was just presented plus there is some entertainment value in hearing these stories in this context.
Gary
I believe that presenting the information in an active, exciting way can help students become motivated and excited about a course. I believe interaction and participation is the key. An instructor have to present the information to the students in a way that excites them and keep them interested instead of a way that may become a bore to them. Interesting activities, exciting projects, interaction during lectures are all ways that I believe can contribute to the excitement and motivation of a student.
I include relife experiences in my teaching. Being a RN for 19 years gives me a lot of examples to use in my lectures
I motivate students by offering examples of my counseling career when teaching about various subjects in psychology. This allows the student to see that the subject material applies to real life and how this information can be used in the work and home environment. Real life examples are interesting and help to keep the students focused. How has anyone used their work experience in the field to supplement their teaching instruction?
Involve the student more in various activities such as discussions and activities so that the student can participate more fully. More specifically using games - I put the first week of lectures into a format and used it as a Jeopardy game - the students really enjoyed it and it helped with teambuilding.
Hi Faylee,
You are to be commended for sharing with your students the actual parts of a career. Your 40 plus years have given you insight that is extremely valuable for individuals preparing to enter the field. You have have so much expertise to share that will help them get a start on their own career development.
Gary
Hi Donald,
Good way to show relevancy between lessons and class sessions. This also reinforces the importance of what is being covered.
Gary
Hi Kimberly,
Good points about how to set the stage for student motivation. Your approach as a human being with the interest of student success foremost in your mind is a great way to set the stage for student engagement. This is what being a teacher is all about.
Gary
Some ways that I like to motivate students is through sharing my personality and through my lifelong experiences in the field that I am teaching. I use my personality which is expressive, entertaining, enthusiastic, and sincere in the classroom to help keep the energy level up and encourage class participation. In the past my students have commented on how approachable I was as an instructor, they felt this made learning a lot more interesting because they felt that they could ask questions and add comments comfortably. I also tend to rely on my personal experiences and knowledge about the field and topic that I am teaching which always adds to a great story! Keeping students motivated and excited about a course is very challenging for an instructor, we have to remember what excites the instructor might not excite the students. Some tools that I use in class to motivate the students are group projects; they get a chance to work with other class members. I also give assignments that they can actually see that they have accomplished a task like a crossword puzzle, worksheets, a research paper etc. I also have the student write down a realistic goal that they want to achieve in the class so they are motivated to work toward that goal and at the end of the class course we meet and talk about how they did achieving that goal. Some ways I like to excite them about the class is through their grades on professional, participation, and attendance. These are areas that the student has control over and which they can realistically achieve a good grade for. I feel that communication between the instructor and student is crucial; it’s the foundation that builds for motivation and success for the instructor and student.
I find the best way to get them motivated is by having them prove to themselves that progress is being made. If you can get them to do this while showing them there is still more to be learned they become hungry to conquer more and more.
I have discussions with the students on why they choose this course of study and what they wanted to contribute and enjoy in work. THe personal reasons allow me to learn more about each student and gives me insight to help keep this student motivated in the long term. I explain that I have worked in this field for almost 40 years but not in the same job. We then discuss different career paths that will open with only this education and the ability to change direction at a later time with experience.
I like to review just what happened in the last assignment. Much like asking "How did your day go?" It helps show interest in more than the score they earned, it shows excitement for the learning. Often, those with a low score on the paper turned in can show that they went out and used the ideas.
Hi Donna,
Way to go in identifying and using your persona as a teacher. Enjoy your teaching and your students. I wish you much success as a teacher and the impact you are having on the lives of your students.
Gary
Hi Ellen,
Good point about the need for students to internalize their learning and career growth. This way they can realize the progress they are making toward their career goals.
Gary
Hi Lillian,
Good point about how to encourage students to keep them engaged and focused on the learning components of the course. The more application and relevancy you can show the students the more return they will realize from their efforts.
Gary
I think by connecting the content and subject matter of the course to their personal lives and daily experiences, will cause students to be more motivated and excited the class.
I have found that I tell my students that I am the funny teacher and that I love the class that I am teaching.
I was looking at some research about motivation and student success. A particular article was addressing the development of metacognitive skills. For example, if a student positively answered, "Compared to other students in this class, I think I know a great deal about the subject," they were more inclined to do well in the class/have a higher GPA. The article suggested that faculty "ignore" this development of students. In a sense, it isn't motivation provided by instructors but when students develop this metacognition an integral aspect is prompting and environmental scanning. Thus, the instructor's behavior/performance in the class would become very important for the student's growth in this area.
