Dawn Young

We do the same type exercise. We also take pictures the first week of school of each student in a cap and gown. We then post these for the student so they have this visual everyday when they enter the classroom. I feel it helps them to keep their focus on their end goal.

Jeffrey Schillinger

Rose Ann,

Having students work to identify their issues and to come up with solutions can be very effective.

Jeffrey Schillinger

Rose Ann Fiskett VMD

sometimes i think students lose their motivation due to personal issues and they don;t even realize it. When you sit down and talk to them about their grades or their performance on assignments they say the will do better but don;t realize that "the other stuff" is knocking them off course. Once I can get them to identify their problem(s), i then ask them how they can go about fixing it. I am amazed at the number of problems that students can't seem to get their head around so they can move forward. Once they come up with some solutions, i usually try and follow up with them to be sure their "answer" has been working for them.

Gladine Stapleton

I have the student write out their goals on the first day. They tell me why they are here, what they expect and what they want upon graduation. They tell me how they thik their lives will be different and how this is positive. We talk about them as a class. Students tell their stories outloud. They tell everyone how they plan to succeed.

I keep these essays.

If the student starts to lose motivation, I pull out the essay and have them read it to me. I asked them if their goals have changed. I ask them what their lfe will be like if they drop out.

They think about it. And, with a little encouragemnet, some help to overcome the crisis-of-the-moment and a few Kleenex, we usually can work through it and they stay.

I am able to motivate the students by using whatever is motivating them already! I just remind them.