Hi Kane, I am wrapping three of your postings up into one response, since they follow the same theme. Motivation is a tricky subject, since it seems so simple and yet is very complex. The complex part is finding out really what motivates each individual at that point in time in relation to their stated career goals. This is much like exercise—why do some stay with the program for years and others drop out after one or two sessions? The challenge for us educators is to the identify the-- Why?? You listed several strategies that I think are very good. The newspaper ad idea lets them test the knowledge/skills they are acquiring against the knowledge/skills they will need for career success. It validates what your are teaching as being relevant. Students really like to test themselves against the instructor. This is a method that generates a lot of attention and effort for students. The question about the hierarchy motivation raises a number of possibilities for instructors. Yes, there seems to be a hierarchy of motivation depending on the age of students, status of students, and needs of students. Through interviews, and personal data sheets you can find out the order of these motivation factors. An example, in one of our training programs we had displaced workers in need of quick skill training to get back into the labor force to earn money to keep their homes and belongings. Their motivation was survival. Once we were able to get them stable we were able to offer advanced training that would take them to the next level of expertise. Their motivation was sequential both in need and excitement. The most effective motivation factors seem to include those related to personal growth, and career advancement. By you being aware of these factors you can then craft your instructional delivery to appeal to these needs and increase the motivation and rapport of your students. Great ideas. Keep up the good work. Gary