external motivation
What are strategies for handling factors that may affect a student's motivation and confidence that occur outside of the classroom?
Tamyra, great conversation and important topic. The more we know about our students and their life experiences the more tools we have to make critical connections. Taking time to get to know your students and for them to get to know each other make for useful classroom activities and can fill many course requirements while getting to know them and each other better. One common characteristic of outstanding instructors is they tend to know a great deal about their students and what makes each student unique.
James Jackson
Even if an instructor can't ultimately control what happens outside of of the classroom, in a lot of vocational type training programs the students are required to do an externship of some sort. By visiting approved places for the student to do an externship and establishing a good working relationship with these places, instructors can help to minimize factors that would negatively affect a student's motivation. also, the location of the externship could have a liason that communicates with instructors on a regular basis to give instructors a heads up concerning potential problems or concerns that may be negatively affecting a students motivation. Also showing a "true" interest in your students and being genuinely interested in their lives outside of the class may give you as an instructor insight into something that may be happening at home or at work that could negatively impact motivation and try to come up with strategies to counteract the negative impact.
Jonathan, we as instructors have no control outside the classroom. However, we can provide a safe and supporive environment so our students can remove themselves from their outside world even if just for a few hours each day.
James Jackson
