motivate
How can I motivate students in a class that they may not particularly enjoy?
Gilbert,
Your field is requires that your students have knowledge of their field and how to make application of what they are learning. If they don't then there will be serious consequences with their patients as well as their career.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Yes, I agree. In pharmacology I help students see the relevance of knowing content by the fact that they will be administering the drugs they are learning about to their patients.
Merrick,
This gets everyone involved and helps to hold them accountable for the content since they are going to have to share what they know about it during the class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
When i encounter this I usually allow the students to more participate in the lectures by having each one of them prepare a short summary of the lectureer and reinforcethe material to the class.
Elizabeth,
It is a demonstration of caring for them as individuals as well as showing the human side of being an educator. This is the foundation upon which rapport is developed.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Sonny,
You make a number of good points in relation to how instructors should approach the classroom. We need to bring passion for our content along with enthusiasm for teaching each time we step into a classroom or lab. If we don't then we are not going to engage our students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I would agree, remembering something even small about a student, motivates them. They feel like someone cares.
This is probably one of the great question to ponder on. Even instructors are may not particularly enjoy teaching either. The trick I learned:
1. First find out why the course is relevant.
2. See through the eyes of the student.
3. Learn something that is tangible.
4. Understand how it can benefit the instructor
5. Demo the need to mastery this course.
Once you are sold on the course yourself, it is much much easier to relate how the course will be a great fit the students. If instructors are not sold on the course, the course itself will be rough for everyone.
Shane,
Good way to increase intrinsic motivation which is the key to student success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
This is a tough question to answer because motivation comes from within. I suggest that you find the students hot buttons and use those hot buttons as motivation factors.
Heather,
Thank you for these comments about what we need to do as we develop as teachers. Your point about knowing something about your students is a good one. By being able to chat about an upcoming child's birthday really helps with the development of rapport. For me the establishment of rapport with a student is a reward of being a teacher. When rapport has been developed I am able to interact with a student at a professional level that enables him or her to advance in their career development and that gives me such a great feeling for having been a part of their growth.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Dr Meers and Marcie, one thing that I really enjoyed about this unit was the "Four Things That Great Teachers Do". 1) Know your content. 2) Know your student. 3) Do not humiliate your student. 4) Transcend the message. Each of these elements are critical to student success. They are also essential in the motivation of students. In regard to number 2, "know your student"… When we can identify one key element about each student, such as upcoming event, a child's name, or a favorite activity, we demonstrate to them that we "know" and care about them.
Heather
Marcie,
Look for and bring examples of applications of the content being taught. Yes, a lot of foundational content is not the most exciting but if the students can see the relevancy of what is being taught they will be more inclined to learn the material.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
