I will notice that when I gear up to tell a story of my experience as a clinician I find the students slightly more attentive. Its where they are headed and it is what they are working so hard to get to..it interests them.
My students are motivated when they see sucesses with their homework/tests. As a medical coding instructor, I assign 20-30 coding problems aweek. When we go over the problems in class I can see the excitment and desire in their eyes when they understand a problem. There is a willingness to want to learn more. My students are required to complete an externship. I always tell my students that you never know that they could possibly be hired at their site. This motivates them immensely!
Motivation techniques for career college students need to show the positive results of people’s efforts. As nontraditional students, the desire for seeing the benefits of their efforts is an important motivator. One of the techniques I use is to tell success stories about previous students and use them as examples of the rewards that await current students. I have invited past students to come in and speak to my classes and tell of their struggles and doubts while they were in school and how they overcame their issues and became successful.
It is one thing for an instructor to motivate students, but when someone who has “been there and done that†speaks to the student, it is more believable.
A motivation technique that I have found that works great for me is to give my students a medical setting and asking them what they would do if they were in that situation and have them ponder thier thoughts and discuss them at the end of class. By waiting untill the end of class it motivates them to critical think.
I have to agree that personal experiences bring it to life for the students
I talk about my past experiences in the field, my good and experiences where I failed and still stood up to finish what I had started. Also if my students have a problem I will ask them personally and see if there is a solution to their problem or I am just a venting place for them. Sometimes just venting helps them a lot too and keeps them focused on what they need to achieve.
Paulette,
I agree. Experience cannot be gifted it is earned through trial and error. Yes, you are a valuable role model for your students because your station in life came as a result of your dedication and hard work. They need to understand this is how life works and that they are not entitled to anything, they must earn it.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
They can share life experiences
Hi Dr. Meers
I appreciate any form of knowledge.However, from experience, I know that its only by hard work, continueous effort,and preseverance, will any individual attain their highest potential. So motivating my students with my struggles and experiences is an effective strategy to me. After all I should be their role model and give them hope to face thier challenges.
Paulette,
Students really enjoy hearing these stories. The information shared give them insight as to how their instructor has acquired his/her experience while showing them how hard work and effort and put them in the same position.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I pesonally share my career path and experience with my student. By doing so, I demonstrate how they can climb their career ladder, if they work hard and keep trying. I think it motivates them to make the effort. Because after all if I made it, then they can too. Given, the fact that they have more resources, and options in todays environment, then when I was growing up. they just need to make the effort and bw dedicated to the goals they have set dfor themselves.
Daniel,
Appreciate your comments about motivation strategies for students. This is a critical part of teaching and we need to remember that as we work with students in giving them feedback that they value.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Tammy,
I am a big fan and user of field trips as well as guest speakers. Both help to make my content real and show the students where their careers can take them.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
1. Students need reinforcement of their knowledge, so appeal to their experiences often. Give real examples from their life to illustrate your ideas.
2. A lesson is not a spontaneous phenomenon. It must be always carefully prepared and connected with the others like a chain in the link. If students see that what they learned at the first lesson is developed and/or applied at the second one, they will retain their knowledge.
3. Finally, students are interested in surviving, so explain to them that knowledge is like a gun in a battle.
I believe a good way to motivate career students is by giving them sample job postings/descriptions, and discussing approximate earnings of graduates. It makes them more excited about their career choice.
Motivating students is a challenge for probably every single teacher who ever took on that role. Every classroom is filled with students who have different interests, learning styles, and background knowledge. At the same time that these differences may make life in the lcassroom more challenging, they can also make life more interesting. One initial motivator is to maintain a strong classroom management style. This will let students know that you are a professional and someone who is in control of the curriculum. Expectations should be reasonable, the atmosphere should be uplifting, lessons should be relevant to the lives of students, communication channels should always be open, everyone should be involved in the learning process, and students love positive reinforcement.
Field trips to various clinical sites with exciting stories and career objectives presented from others in the career field who are actually working in the students chosen profession.
It has become very clear to me in my experience that my students need to know that I myself have been successful in the field and am continuing to be successful even outside of teaching and that I love what I do. Sharing my personal experience of how I got where I am today is very motivating to my students and it also enables them to have trust in me.
Also, I have posted this in my threads already, but I use personal mission statements as well and have them keep them in a personal visible place so they are reminded of their goals daily.
I always share real life experiences that I have from the field. When I tell these stories I do so with emotion and animation. I try to motivate through my excitement.
DARRON,
Real life experience help to engage students in the learning process. They really perk up when their instructors share stories of their own work experiences.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
