That when a student does fail at a class project or assement show the student when they went wrong and what they could have done diffent. Instead of leaving them to stew about.
Hi Amy,
I teach as required basic course as well. Many of the students enter the course with negative attitudes because they are "forced" to be there and they see no value to what I am teaching.
I am like you in that I take their attitudes as a challenge and try to win them over to valuing what I am teaching through careful planning, examples, guest speakers and individual projects. They slowly start to see how they can be successful in the course, enjoy the material and have fun while learning. This is what makes it worthwhile.
Gary
Students can be motivated in a number of different ways. Perhaps they are taking the course because they believe that it will be useful to them in their subsequent coursework or life after graduation. Some love a challenge and thrive on acquiring new information.
In my own classes, students are often required to be there and they have no choice in the matter. For some the material is simple and they have no problem staying motivated. For those that have no interest in the subject matter and for whom it does not come easily are afflicted with a double whammy.
These are the students with whom it is often most satisfying to work. They require consistent postitive reinforcement, and extra help and different methods of explanation. Often the willingness to work with them is a powerful motivator.
Hi Scott,
Students do appreciate support which in turn increases their motivation to be successful. They know they have an instructor that cares about their success which helps them to want to put forth more effort throughout the course.
Gary
I find being supportive to usually be motivating. Many of the skills students are doing in my class they've never done before, and often what they produce doesn't match what they had in mind. (I teach a cake/pastry class). I try to find something positive to say about every student's work, while acknowledging that there are areas that could be improved upon next time. I notice that students are much more critical of themselves than I am of them--frequently I'll see a well-made cake, and then the student will point out each and every flaw. I find that sharing stories about my own cake disasters and how I salvaged them seem to motivate some students.
Hi Lisa,
You make a good point about the pace of class. It does need to be varied so the students don't get bored and they look forward to what is coming next. This helps to keep them engaged throughout the class session.
Gary
Changing it up with different presentaion styles. Start class differently. Don't be the boring instructor.
I completly agree with you. I tell my students thank you,and good job for helping with the sanitation duties, and it seems that even though it is something they have to do, they do it without having to be reminded. I also get in there and help out when i am not busy. so they see that i don't ask them to do anything i wouldn't do.
I have found that some of the motivating factors that push my students vary greatly especially withe the students ages. The younger ones have ideas of joining race teams or racing themselves, the older ones sometimes are looking for a career change or may be interested in starting there own business.
student motivation is something they are interested in. Something they want an end result in. My students are greatly motivated when they figure something out for the first time. It's like a light bulb coming on. From there on, they stay motivated.
Students need to feel that this class, for whatever career path chosen, is relevant to something they will "DO" once they graduate. I always show how what we are learning will enable them to DO more, waste less, perform better, and be competitive in their field.
Some factors for student motivation include what they perceive as the end result of their work in the class. Do they feel as though the skills/ideas they're learning are going to help them in the long run? If so, then, they will most likely be well-motivated throughout the course.
I think when students have success on the problems or assignments they are motivated to contunue learning. If I overwhelm the students with complex problems right off the bat the students tend to shy away from further learning.
I think you need to positively motivate your students. It could be something as simple as giving them a candy bar for completing all their work on time. I like to make cookies for my students and give them a little down time when we get to the middle of the term. This lets them know that I appreciate all their hard work. It also has them motivated to continue to work hard for the remainder of the term.
There are many factors that contribute to student movtivation. For example, students want to get a higher paying job after graduation so they stay in school to learn new skills and the latest technology in order to be able to compete in the workplace. For this reason, personl advancement is one of the facotors that contributs to student motivation.
Other students might be just looking to make new friends or develop new interest of other subjects in a different setting. They want to reestablish themselves in different career and social settings. Therefore, social relationships might be another factor that contributes to student motivation.
On the other hand, some students need to comply with instructions from someone else. It may be from their employers who send their employees to school to upgrade their skills. These students want to meet the expectations of others. Hence, the external sources could be another factor that contributes to student motivation.
Developing rapport and respect for the students.
I think student motivation comes from both external and internal factors. As a teacher, I can influence and motivate the student through real life stories, feedback, and several other methods. Perhaps more importantly for me, is to encourage the student to find these motivating factors within him/herself.
I believe that there are many things that contribute to student’s motivation. Some things may include what is going on in their life (want to make a better living, just got laid off), their work (want to move up), or even their social life (friends have this job and enjoy it).
In my on line class I am able to set up a discussion board for the students to make introductions to each other and to me. I respond to every post noting something I found interesting about the student and, sometimes, telling something I have in common with the student. Because on line students are typicaly older and have a lot of life experience, it is easy to see what motivates them. I like to share that I returned to school at 36 to develop a second career. I hope that provides some motivation that what they are doing in a positive step.
I think students are motivated by several factors. Some students have intrinsic motivation -- they are motivated to work hard and do well because that is what they ALWAYS do. Some students are motivated by grades -- they want to achieve high grades, which they perceive will help them to be more employable. Other students are motivated by their peers and/or the instructor. For example, I've had students who talk to me about their assignments, and they are literally apologizing about letting me down in some way if they don't do it correctly or if they didn't put forth full effort. I am glad that my students are comfortable enough with me to admit when they didn't fulfill one of my expectations (putting forth your best effort at all times), and this gives me a chance to discuss the circumstances with them, thus getting to understand more of their background. Ultimately, I believe that many students are motivated by the motivation and enthusiasm they see from their instructors and classmates.
