Hi David,
This is very good because students need to see the connection between what they are learning and real life situations. You are bridging that gap to the real world with your examples.
Gary
Hi Steven,
You are right on with giving your students prompt feedback. It is very important to the students and it really helps to keep them engaged in the course.
Gary
Hi Darryl,
You got the total package with your approach. I commend you for your dedication and excitement to and for your students.
Gary
I try to use real lfe experiences in the learning process so the students see that it is not just book learning
One successful motivation technique is to provide immediate feedback on graded work. Students like to know their grades as soon as possible. Whenever possible, I will grade quizzes during break and return them to the class.
Being enthusiastic about a competency that is being taught and how it will apply to the field. Being enthusiastic about a demo (where you get to talk a lot, ask questions, answer questions with excitement, being excited about the application of the competency, and keep going and going and going. Another technique that has worked well for me is when I am right beside the student as he/she is doing the competency and urging them on, praising when it is done correctly, helping them out when it needs to be done correctly, "high-fiving". These help their confidence, self-esteem, and builds their character. Just awesome!
Hi Darrell,
Adults are just kids that are taller in many ways and there are all kinds of things you can use to get them excited about class that day or to reward them for work well done. Keep up the good work in this area.
Gary
suprise them with mystery boxes, friendlyh competition, storeis and experiences i have or other students may have had. postive rienforcement is really my favorite tool, you doa great job, you hear about and you get to move to a new tougher station. i use lots of techniques also just being excited about the info helps.
Enthiusiasm, passion and relating the subject area to the "real world" but keeping it fun, and not all gloom and doom. Humor is the lifeblood of motivation in our craft!
Hi Dave,
This is what makes the course "real" for students when they can hear, see and question individuals that are already in their field. This really gets them pumped up and ready to continue on with their studies.
Gary
I will use not only real jobs and job sites for motivation, I will also invite guest speakers into the class from the field to discuss what it really is like when they break into the career they are training for.
Effective Motivation Techniques would inlcude providing timely feedback and allowing students to relate a past experience to a current theory being taught.
Hi Herve,
Adults are just children that are taller. You are right about the stickers, candy, etc. They will work real hard to earn them. I really like the part where they remind you if you forget them. Good motivators.
Gary
one of my techniques is that i use stickers for homework and assesments (A get a different type of stickers): surprinsingly even adult leaners are very receptive to those and ask for them if i forgot to put them!
Hi Gail,
Good points about the career selection aspect of career college education. Part of our job is to inform them about choices and how these choices will shape their lives in the future. You have a very clear understanding of how you can do this for your students. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Hi Richard,
You make a good point about the Food Network. I was thinking that FN would make teaching in culinary arts easier rather than more challenging since the network shows for the most part the glamour side of food rather than the realism of food prep. With your explanation it makes real sense in terms of the challenges you instructors now face. Thanks for the information. Keep up the good work on inspiring the next generation of chefs.
Gary
Sometimes in my classes I have discussions on what it means to be negatively motivated by something. Many of our students enroll because they know what they don't want, i.e. lifestyles they've grown up in, jobs they've had, but aren't really sure what they do want. It helps to define purpose, and usually students can find motivation from within when they realize a purposeful role both in school and in life.
Instructors can tap into students' motivations in different ways. One is to incorporate a student's own experiences, so that they can feel a direct relationship between what they know and what you're teaching.
Positive reinforcement can be a valuable tool. Grades are important for some, bonus points for others. But not all students are motivated in these ways.
Flexibility is important. Career students will have issues that traditional students are less likely to: family issues, problems at work, even transportation problems. Instructors must be responsive to these. In some ways the Internet helps with some of these -- students are able to complete and submit work without physically appearing on campus. But extending a deadline, for instance, is a way that the instructor can facilitate the student's need without sacrificing the integrity of the class, instructor or institution.
The best motivation techniques that career college instructors can use is as simply as being knowledgeable, enthusiastic, flexible, caring and fair.
I am a culinary instructor and motivating adults now is much more difficult then before the advent of the "Food Network". Before "FN" everything was a mystery and new and fresh so to motivate them was a breeze.
Now, most of the time these students have a fair idea of components and composition. We, as instructors, now have to up our game and learn different techniques to keep them excited.
Field trips to new fusion-type restaurants, trendy up and coming Chef speakers, school competitions are some of the ways we try to motivate these expectant students.
