To be an instructor is also to be a motivator...I love giving students opportunities to come with me when an event occurs that lets them see what the future holds for them. I run a makeup academy, and so to take students along, even just to help with the basics of a photo shoot or wedding, can be such a great motivator. It helps to really see your future so close in front of you!
Hi Carol,
Great job of listing some of the key strategies for keeping students motivated. As long as you can help students see the end results, that being course completion and untimely career success then you will have succeeded with your goal. Sometimes students become so distracted by their lives outside of school that they forget their real goal.
New and challenging activities help them to keep focused. In our instant society students want everything now with minimum effort and as you know career preparation just doesn't work that way.
Gary
There are a number of motivational techniques, which may be used in the classroom to help keep students engaged in the learning process. Examples of these techniques are: Structuring the classroom so that the learning experience is active rather than passive, bringing life experiences into the lesson, both your own as well as those of your students, immediate feedback regarding regarding how your students are doing, provide activities that demonstrate that your students are acquiring the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in their chosen occupation, etc.
Hi Ana,
By trying the various motivation techniques you are setting the stage for the students to move to the next stage in their professional development. As you well know motivation is a constant effort. The issues of daily life, being a student, and making a living all contribute to weighing the student down to the point that they often cannot see that they are making progress toward their ultimate goal.
A key point in relation to motivation is that it needs to include both motivation directed toward the student as a person as well as the student as a student. This means that by giving friendly support at a time a student is really down, tired or discouraged helps him/her personally. Encouragement and support given in direct relationship to course content helps with motivation towards the career goal. Both have to be given at the appropriate times.
Good luck with your efforts.
Gary
Motivation techniques are effective if you as the teacher encourage , guide , and believe in them. They will know that you are trying all that you can to motivate them to the path of success.
Hi Kane,
I am wrapping three of your postings up into one response, since they follow the same theme.
Motivation is a tricky subject, since it seems so simple and yet is very complex. The complex part is finding out really what motivates each individual at that point in time in relation to their stated career goals. This is much like exercise—why do some stay with the program for years and others drop out after one or two sessions? The challenge for us educators is to the identify the-- Why??
You listed several strategies that I think are very good. The newspaper ad idea lets them test the knowledge/skills they are acquiring against the knowledge/skills they will need for career success. It validates what your are teaching as being relevant.
Students really like to test themselves against the instructor. This is a method that generates a lot of attention and effort for students.
The question about the hierarchy motivation raises a number of possibilities for instructors. Yes, there seems to be a hierarchy of motivation depending on the age of students, status of students, and needs of students. Through interviews, and personal data sheets you can find out the order of these motivation factors. An example, in one of our training programs we had displaced workers in need of quick skill training to get back into the labor force to earn money to keep their homes and belongings. Their motivation was survival. Once we were able to get them stable we were able to offer advanced training that would take them to the next level of expertise. Their motivation was sequential both in need and excitement.
The most effective motivation factors seem to include those related to personal growth, and career advancement. By you being aware of these factors you can then craft your instructional delivery to appeal to these needs and increase the motivation and rapport of your students.
Great ideas. Keep up the good work.
Gary
I like the idea of asking students how they would do a task or job differently or better than the teacher. I think this would really get the students involved because they could do something better than their teacher and kind of show-off.
Is there a hierarchy of motivation that students fall under? For example, students are motivated by 1. Grades 2. Money 3. Better Carrer ,etc.
Could teachers use this to better prepare for each class or each student?
A technique I have used to motivate students is to allow the students to find a job in the classifieds and call that place of employement and find-out exactly what office tools they will be using on the job. Almost always the employer is using a tool that the student is or will be studing.
Hi Elizabeth,
In both Forum 3 and 4 you have captured the essence of what teaching is all about. Keeping the students foremost in your mind. By being attentive to their individual needs and offering different methods of content delivery you are providing opportunities for motivation and personal growth. Good Job!
Gary
In my class Role playing has worked ,we would do situations as how it would be in a real job and it helps build there confidence and they dont feel so overwhelmed that they might not do a good job
Jim,
Isn't amazing how a few kind words and a little support will help to motivate students to keep on trying? You are right in your approach to encourage and support your students' efforts. They need to realize that in a few years and with some experience they will be those “experts†that they now are intimidated by. We all had to start with the basics and we gained our experience through much trial and error in addition to mentors who helped us gain our expertise. I enjoy and I am sure you do as well, being that mentor to help students along the learning pathway.
Keep up the good work.
Gary
Dr. Meers,
By offering encouragment when students do well, especially when mastering a difficult part of the class. By telling them that not only what they learn is a good foundation for success, but it also may help them to excel. Alot of the students that I teach are frequently intimadated by the so called "experts" in their field. Helping the students realize that they have "what it takes" often seems motivate.
Jim Paich
Hi Joseph,
You have a very “common sense†approach to your teaching. I am sure that your students enjoy your classes and dedication to their success. Keep encouraging your students and I know both they and you will grow professionally.
Gary
Practical applications in a true setting helps our students see the importance of putting it all together. Completing a full session with a great outcome enhances their desire to excell.
Receiving feedback from other professionals in the field may bring a new perspective to your student and open a doorway to applications they were unsure of before. Just being told "You done did good", helps also. JB
Hi Pamela,
Right you are. The “soft skills†are just as important as the specific skills of the job. If either of these is missing failure will be the result. We all know the data that more jobs are lost due to social/personal interactions that those lost due to inadequate skills.
I always had my students practice the soft skills as a part of everyday class life. A habit is a practice that becomes a part of your behavior if you do it for 30 consecutive days. I wanted my students to have made the soft skills habits to the point that they didn't have to pause and think about what they should do they just did it, like be on time, dress appropriately, etc.
Gary
In one of the courses that I have taught, students learn that certain qualities about themselves will help them in the workforce. For example, some are very organized in everything that they do; that's very beneficial on the job. Others say that they are always punctual, always on time to wherever they go; employers can always depend on them, thus leading to a long employment period.
A teacher should stress this part of career training, because alot of adult students don't think any of their qualities matter; oh, how we must prove them wrong!
Pamela
Gloria,
We encourage that where I teach. Several graduates are now working as administrative assistants on our campus. They are examples of how the education that they received paid off, and each is doing a great job.
Pamela
Hi Gloria,
Sometimes we forget that important it is to see someone that is successful in our field. Bringing in the graduates is an excellent way of demonstrating that “in the near future that can be you as well†for your students.
Another motivational technique that you may find helpful is to give the students opportunities for application of their newly acquired knowledge or skill. Sometimes they cannot see application outside the classroom or that they are moving along a learning continuum. By letting them see how they can use their new skills you can greatly enhance their excitement about the course even though they may have a number of months facing them of really hard work.
Gary
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Bring in successful recent graduates as guests. Let your "work" do your talking. Sometimes all it takes is the student being able to connect with someone who has been through it and made it...successfully!
