Motivating Students

Students do not like school. That is a fact. Or maybe they like school but do not like learning. Or worse yet maybe they do not like learning what is presented to them in the class as education. Until better can be done all young people have to go to school and teachers have to teach them.
The theory of motivation suggests four conditions that must be present for students to be motivated-:
* a supportive learning environment
* an appropriate level of challenge of tasks and activities.
* learning objectives must be relevant and meaningful
* a moderate or optimal use of motivational strategies.

Here is my list of suggestions for motivating students in the classroom, based on these conditions.

A. The Involvement of Teachers. The relationship between the teacher and student is crucial. Brain research and Social and Emotional Learning theory also tell us that basically the learning environment must be non- threatening and particularly free from fear.
1. Learn about your students' interests, experiences, career goals, etc. Talk with them about their lives and share some of yours with them.
2. Listen actively to your students. Encourage them to talk about their fears and anxieties, their dreams and visions, their everyday upsets and their chronic bad feelings (of invalidation, incompetence, feeling stupid, etc.)
3. Connect with them regularly- an approving look, a hand on the shoulder, sit near to them and walk around the class and stop at a desk occasionally and offer help and support.
4. Avoid threats and punishments (even in tone of voice). Avoid creating competition among the students, encourage cooperative working in groups. Avoid public criticisms and put downs.

B. Providing autonomy and making work relevant and meaningful.
1. Allow students to have choice in what they study, how they are evaluated, how they present work and topics for projects.
2. Give feedback as soon as possible. Feedback must be indicative of how the student has done, where he/she could have done better and suggestions for improvement.
3. Explain how the content of the curriculum will be useful to the students academically and/or personally. Use examples and assignments that relate to the students' interests.
4. Use variety in your teaching methods and your presentation, in the assignments and types of tests that you set.

C. Appropriate level of challenge.
1. Hold high expectations of your students always.
2. Help the students to set realistic goals for themselves- stress improvement not just test performance.
3. Communicate clearly what is expected of the students. Be clear with objectives and aims of the lesson and how the students' progress and performance will be evaluated.
4. Make sure that the work matches the students' ability and background and experiences. Set work that is not too easy nor too difficult. The work must be challenging enough, but the student must also believe that achievement is possible.
5. Increase the difficulty of the work as the year progresses and the students' performance improves.

Generally be enthusiastic about your subject and about teaching, Create an atmosphere in your classroom that is safe, open and positive. And let the students help to guide your efforts. Ask them what they like about the class and what they would like to see changed and how they would like to see the work be more interesting.