I will lead by example. I will maintain rapport with my students. I will find out what motivates them so that I can use that information to keep them motived and focused them on their goals.

In a nutshell, I need to keep on top of my game keeping my students interested in learning, by not being boring. Providing a variety of learning styles and methods to keep them engaged in the learning process, I can provide them with the best learning experience to help them achieve success. If things slack off for any reason, I can always fall back on the REFOCUS strategy to get a handle on the situation. 

Establishing rapport, being caring, encouraging, respectful, and being a professional with a positive attitude will help me to be seen as an approachable and helpful authority figure to students. Making them as comfortable as possible from their point of view should help to keep them interested in attending my class because they want to be there. Ultimately, I'd like them to see me as someone who can help them to succeed in accomplishing goals. I remember being a student quite well and have a pretty good perspective on their point of view. As their instructor, I'll keep that in mind.

I was able to reflect on my own experience as a nontraditional student and relate to this material. I feel like I have a good perspective on the needs of students based on this experience. I will be mindful of what motivates my students, help them to see the big picture and encourage them to do what it takes be successful. 

One of the biggest things I took away from this module is that motivation isn’t one size fits all. Students are motivated by different things, and as instructors, it’s our job to understand what drives each student and connect the course material to those motivations.

I learned that maintaining student engagement requires intentional variety, especially later in the course when both students and instructors may lose momentum. I plan to use brief stories, application activities, and occasional unexpected scenarios to refocus students while keeping each activity connected to the learning objectives.

One of my main takeaways from this module is that student retention depends heavily on the classroom environment an instructor creates. Students are more likely to remain engaged when they feel respected, supported, and capable of succeeding. I also learned that enthusiasm, frequent feedback, active learning, and appropriate moments of fun can build rapport and reduce some of the anxiety students may bring into the classroom.

This module helped me better understand how identifying both intrinsic and extrinsic student needs can support retention. Students may be motivated by career goals, skill development, success, or a sense of belonging, but outside frustrations and personal challenges can still interfere with their progress.

being able to motivate students is a key roll in being a great teacher. Using the skills learned in the lesson will allow me to better manage my class.

using the refocus method helps to keep the students focused on the material after the "slump" has set in.