I really like your strategy, I think I am also going to start referring to my students as future certified ______. In my mind it is basically telling the students, look this title is right here waiting for you. All you have to do is meet your goals, study etc. and you will get it. It's kind of like dangling a mental carrot in front of the students. One thing I know I need to improve is getting feedback to my students on a more timely manner. Even one week is too long. This course has taught me to reward even the smallest steps or progressions to keep students more engaged.
Megan,
Gen ed courses can be tough to sell to students. You are doing a good job by connecting the dots between math and application in the medical field. The more connections the more value they will see in what you are teaching.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I also teach a math class. And find using "real life" examples does help them understand the importance of the course. We are in a medical field and I explain it as life over death and they seems to become more focused knowing they could cause death without applying the information correctly
Jeannie,
By you having them tell you you are helping them to see the value of the gen ed courses you are teaching. I teach such courses as well so I can appreciate the challenge that comes with helping students to see why gen ed courses are required and how they help them to move closer to their career goals.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Asking questions. When presenting content ask students how they can use the information for career success. Since I teach general education classes I find it works better to have them tell me rather than the other way around. The usefulness and/or practicality of the lesson helps motivate them.
Faye,
Students enjoy classes that contain both an element of fun and are interesting. Both of these need to be a part of our instructional planning and delivery.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Tammie,
Success stories reinforce what is being taught and increase the value of the content to students. This sets up a win win situation for both you the instructor and the students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Make the class fun and interesting and have the students relate to the discussions.
Ways I think help to motivate students is by sharing some of your success stories especially if what you are sharing is something the students can connect with and is honest and caring.
Bonita,
Like your style and dedication to teaching. You are impacting the lives of your students in so many ways as a result of your professionalism and passion. Keep up the good work!
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
For me, motivating students is a passion. I am able to motivate by sharing real world application to the content being taught. I use a variety of instructional methods to engage all styles of learning. I think one of the easiest ways to motivate learners is simply by getting to know the learner and addressing them by name. Starting each class with a smile and asking the students how they are doing on any given day is a personal tough I use to get students in the mood for learning.
Audrey,
I like your approach in motivating your students. I have found that adult learners are just tall children. They like to be recognized and rewarded. A pizza party or a smiley face really ramps up the engagement of students plus we have a lot of fun learning the material that results in the rewards.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I attempt to be a motivating instructor by giving out prizes for high accomplishments, acknowledging completed assignments, and complimenting success on papers and exams.
Harold,
This is such a powerful support for the students. Knowing an authority figure like yourself cares about them individually and their success inspires them to try even harder.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The way I motivate my students is through showing support and that I care about their success.
Donna,
This is a tough subject to teach as you know since so many people have mental blocks in the math area. The more applications you can make the more value you will create for your students in the course and their career development.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Try to show what they are learn can be applied to real life. I mainly teach Algebra and this can sometimes be challenging.
Maksuda,
Stories from your own work experience are extremely valuable to students because they show the students what they are heading for upon graduation. You are giving them a taste of the real world and they need to have that throughout their course work. Also, the videos and guest speakers increase their motivation levels. I use both a lot in my courses for the reasons you state.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I motivate my students by telling them stories about things I did while working in the field as a pharmacy tech. I also ask them what they remember when they went into a pharmacy, what did they notice. I also ask them what they want to learn in the class and what their expectations are. I show them videos and have guest speakers from the field so that they understand why we are covering certain things.
LYDIA,
Bring passion for your field and enthusiasm for teaching goes a long way in "selling" your course to students. As we all know if we are not excited about being in class it is for sure students won't be either.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
