Student Motivation is a Necessity. Here's How to Achieve It!!

Student motivation, especially intrinsic motivation (the motivation that comes from within ones self), is a critical part of the education process. Motivation is a necessity so that learning becomes a continuing, improving, interesting and hopefully enjoyable process. I say "hopefully enjoyable" because although you as a teacher try to make learning fun, your students should understand that learning is the goal, the fun part is just nice to have. As I'm sure you know, most people can be intimidated when it comes to doing or learning something new - they would just prefer to maintain the status quo, it's easier. You as a teacher, must develop and encourage classroom motivation, i.e. think of and find ways to motivate students to reach their potential, their goals and their dreams. However, having said that, students must also share in the responsibility by doing some things for themselves, such as: * Set realistic goals for themselves, (based on their desires, not on what others may say)and thus become more motivated to attain their goals. * Understand that achieving one's goals takes work and may involve some risk. Learning is work and can be risky to your self esteem when you try something new, admit you don't know something and have to ask for help.

Create Student Motivation in the Classroom.

There are so many ways for you to develop student motivation: 1. As mentioned above (but worth repeating), encourage them to set to set goals. 2. Give students more control - a chance to create their own personal choices. Establishing their own rights, is a very resourceful motivational technique. I'm talking about students choosing their own ways (with your agreement of course) of completing assignments, learning new or complex tasks, etc. 3. As much as possible relate assignments and class projects to real life situations. 4. Practice the assertive discipline (positive discipline) techniques that I discuss on my page aboutClassroom Discipline 5. Of course most teachers will come across students who will be very difficult to

motivate and who will not care about what happens in school. You have to create incentives. There are ways to motivate students such as these. Doing unique activities, creating situations where they can work in small groups, creating a reward system are just a few ideas. Teaching in primary grades is quite different than in junior grades and so is student motivation. Read about the reward systems that I have set up for students in both primary grades and junior grades by reading my page onmotivation to learn. BUT please keep in mind that the reward system should be treated as a reward for finishing a task not for just participating. Want some of my helpful suggestions on Classroom Awards as well as many very useful and colourful certificates, awards and school passes without having to design the them from scratch? Be sure to read my page on Classroom Awards 6. Having students help with some of the many jobs that need to be done in the classroom, will not only make your life as a teacher easier but classroom jobsare also a great student motivational tool. 7. Games are fabulous classroom team building activities which are great for creating motivation in the classroom. It's amazing how it does wonders for students' self esteem and camaraderie. Read about a few of the motivationalclassroom gamesthat I found successful. 8. Another of my favorite classroom activities for team building was a classroom meeting that I called Special Talk and Student of the Week. My students loved it! This is another excellent student motivational tool. 9. Read about two very successful classroom contests that I implemented, that my students loved and were invaluable in motivating my students and helping to establish discipline in my classroom. 10. Motivate your students with some of thesemath word wall strategies. 11. Always remember that humor in the classroom is a great way to motivate students. Read this page and find out why humor in the classroomis so important. 12. Motivating students to read has always been a challenge for teachers. Motivating students to read doesn't have to be taxing and stressful. Read about the effective methods that I have used for motivating students to read 13. One great motivational tool and an excellent educational experience are field trips. Be sure to read my page on school field trip ideas to get some effective field trip ideas and planning strategies.

14. Another great motivational tool is using the smartboard to deliver your lessons. It's great for encouraging student participation and interaction. Read my page on smartboard lesson plans to learn what they are all about. 15. Praise in the classroom can be a wonderful motivational tool, if done correctly. Read how! Three important thoughts to keep in mind as you finish reading this page: 1. Always display care, concern and encouragement for your students. 2. Never give up on any unmotivated students or they will give up on themselves. 3. Going hand in hand with building student motivation is building student self esteem. Be sure to read my page onStudent Self Esteem and learn to incorporate building self esteem within your daily lesson plans. It's crucial. Keep in touch with what's happening in the world of student education by subscribing to my monthly newsletter, Terrific Teaching Tips. Each month, it will provide you with interesting and useful strategies, tips and information.

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MOTIVATING STUDENTS: 8 SIMPLE RULES FOR TEACHERS

By Lana Becker and Kent N. Schneider, East Tennessee State University becker@etsu.edu or kent@etsu.edu Reprinted from The Teaching Professor by permission from Magna Publications, Inc., Madison, Wis. www.magnapubs.com. Subscriptions and submissions at custserv@magnapubs.com August/September 2004 Principles of Accounting has the reputation of being a "hard and boring" course. It is difficult to motivate students to invest the time and effort necessary to succeed in the course. To meet this challenge, we have assembled a list of eight simple rules for keeping students focused and motivated. These rules are not original, and they aren't just for those of us who teach accounting classes. Indeed, most of these time-honored suggestions apply to any course students find hard and boring, and we think that makes them broadly applicable. Rule 1: Emphasize the most critical concepts continuously. Reiterate these concepts in lectures and assignments throughout the course. Include questions relating to these critical subjects on every exam, thus rewarding students for learning, retaining, and, hopefully, applying this knowledge in a variety of contexts. Rule 2: Provide students with a "visual aid" when possible to explain abstract concepts. A significant proportion of today's students are visual learners. For these students, a simple diagram or flowchart truly can be more valuable than a thousand words in a text or a lecture. Rule 3: Rely on logic when applicable. Point out to students which information is merely "fact" that must be memorized and which course material is based upon "logic." Show students how to employ logical thinking to learn and retain new information. For example, in the double-entry bookkeeping system, "debits" equal "credits," and debit entries cause assets to increase. These are "facts" or features of the system; they are not based on logic. However, once the student accepts the system, logic can be used to operate within the

system. Continuing the example, if debit entries increase assets, it is logical that credit entries will cause assets to decrease. Rule 4: Use in-class activities to reinforce newly presented material. After a new concept or subject has been presented via text reading, lecture, or class discussion, allow the students to put the concept into action by completing an in-class assignment. These assignments can be short, but they must be developed to ensure that the students understand the critical concepts underlying the new material. Typically, the most learning takes place when the students are permitted to work in small groups, to refer to their text and notes, and to ask questions of the instructor while completing the assignment. If these in-class assignments are part of the course grading scheme, class attendance also improves. Rule 5: Help students create a "link" when teaching something new. If the student can "link" the new material to something already learned, the odds of learning the new material are greatly increased. Examples of possible links include: prior material learned in this course (e.g., the critical concepts described in Rule 1), material learned in prerequisite courses, and "real-life" experiences of the students outside the classroom. Rule 6: Recognize the importance of vocabulary in a course. Students often struggle with new vocabulary in many courses, especially introductory ones. To succeed in these courses, students must become comfortable with the new terminology. As subjects are presented, new and/or confusing terms should be identified and introduced to the students. Present "real-world" definitions and alternative terminology, in addition to textbook definitions. One way to help students assimilate the course vocabulary is to create a "living" glossary on the instructor's website where new terminology is added, explained, and illustrated throughout the course. Rule 7: Treat students with respect. Patronizing behavior may be expected in primary school teachers, and :drill sergeant" strategies may be effective in military book camps. However, most college student will not respond well to these techniques. Give students their dignity, and they will give you their best efforts. Rule 8: Hold students to a high standard. If students are not required to maintain a specified level of learning and performance, only the most highly motivated students will devote the time and effort necessary to learn. In contrast, maintaining high standards not only will motivate student learning, it will also be the source of student feelings of accomplishment when those standards are met. Each of these rules can help motivate even the most lethargic student, but Rule 7 and 8 are the most important. If students are not treated with respect and held to a high standard, scrupulously following the first six rules will have much less impact and might end up being an exercise in futility.

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