What about personal experiences in the field being taugt? I have found this to be useful, but don't want to abuse it.
Hi Joshua,
You make a very good point about the need to help students see they can be successful in a course. They often times set themselves up for failure because they know they can't do the work when in reality they can, they just need to be guided toward success.
Gary
i like to involve the students in the lecture to help show them how much they really know. Some of our students come from a difficult past and lack any self-confidence at any scholastic activity. Showing these students that they can be successful in school and able to learn the material goes a long way. Also make the course challenging for the students and teach at the application tier instead of just the memorization or brain dump tier.
Hi Marvin,
There is a saying that goes with your approach. "To teach is to learn twice." I this method really helps students to learn and then apply the content since they are sharing it with others. So they need to know how to approach the material from a number of different ways.
Gary
I always set the stage from time to time to turn the student into the teacher. I do this by having them work out problems on the board and discuss to the class what they are doing. This allows the student to determine if they know the facts well enough to explain what they are doing and how they are doing it. If the student is capable of doing the work but not explaining how they are doing it, it allows the student to work a little harder to really examine their work and be able to discuss it in detail the next time they are at the board. Also, others in the class are willing to help others out whenever they become stuck on a problem and this motivates the students to reinforce their knowledge to help a fellow student complete the task.
Hi Carla,
All good ways to get the students involved and engaged. These different forms of reinforcement helps the students to see relevance to what they are learning in addition to the application phase.
Gary
Positive reinforcement--praise for a job well done. Immediate review of tests--helps me also. Have a student relate to the rest of the class how subject matter applies to the real world.
Hi Julie,
You make a number of very good points about what motivates students. Your last sentence really puts everything into perspective. It involves respect earned in both directions. When respect is present then rapport follows and with rapport goes enhanced learning and student success.
Gary
I believe in motivating through respecting the student and valuing who they were before they came into my class.
In my online classroom it is my primary goal to treat my students with respect and create a comfortable classroom experience. I realize that students coming to class for the first time may be overwhelmed with not only the prospect of attending college, but also going to school online. They may have had previous negative classroom experiences and may be unsure of whether or not they can succeed.
I maintain a nurturing and positive environment in my classroom, one that treats students as individuals and invites students to share questions and concerns. When it is appropriate, I ask students to relate the abstract principles that they are learning in class to their life experiences. This helps adult students realize one of my core teaching beliefs: knowledge in the classroom enhances and is enhanced by real world experiences and values.
I believe that when students feel like they are listened to and valued, they bring a special vigor and commitment to the classroom, making it a dynamic atmosphere for both teacher and student.
Therefore, I think that instructors who show their students respect motivate them.
I've done this as well. First, they must understand the material to be able to teach it. Secondly, it keeps them involved and interested in the topic.
Hi Louis,
These are the students I have as well. They have specific goals and are willing to do the work it takes to expand their knowledge and skill sets to get them where they want to go. Great bunch to teach because they are dedicated and motivated even if they are tired from working all day and going to school at night.
Gary
For older students I have found a driving force to be "make more money." I have found that the career goals they have a promise of that and I show them annual reports of companies and the earnings of the very job descriptions they desire.
An example I use for motivation is to solicit students to share their life experiences during discussions througout the lecture. This will usually allow the non-talking students to open up to the discussion and jump on the bandwagon.
Motivational techniques will vary by instructors, but one skill which I have employed time and again is empathy. I feel that an early communication to your students that conveys your sincere desire for their success can encourage them to be successful in your course. As instructors to career college students it is important that we understand the constraints and challenges many of our students have to overcome to be successful in school. We can be much more effective educators if we maintain the human approach to these students.
Hi Connie,
So true. Excitement does not just spring up out of students they need to have an instructor that helps them with their motivation and enthusiasm and one way to do that is show them how you the instructor is about having the opportunity to teach the course.
Gary
self motivation is definately a big factor, If I am not motivated to teach, then how can I motivate my students and peers.
Hi Dan,
Good way to show the students the value of other classes as they apply to their current studies. They need at times to have someone "connect the dots" for them between their various classes and previous experiences in relation to their futures in their career area.
Gary
Yes success stories are great for motivation.
You can use your own past experience if you have attended a school that was focused on providing students with practical skills for particular careers. For example, describing how a keyboarding class can improve your skill with a calculator used in a specific job for specific purposes (balancing cash drawer, checking numbers in a report, recalculating totals in a spreadsheet, etc.)
telling student to keep of the good work
don't give up we can get through it
laughter of learning
