Donovan Salazar

People react differently to both internal and external motivation. Providing a mix of both is important. Keeping in mind that some forms are only temporary, but necessary, we should focus on providing long lasting motivation.

Confidence. Make your students feel confident and secure when asking questions or making comments about lessons. Give supportive feedback even when students are incorrect with their answers. If they feel safe in the classroom, their motivation increases. Make students feel like they have some control over their course experience. Set up choices that makes students feel like they have some power over their education, even when it doesn't really affect the class overall. Allow for student feedback. It will help you improve your instruction where you maybe don't see an issue, and it helps students feel heard.

Learn what drives your students. Students want to learn material that will help them reach the goals that they've set. Be a motivating instructor. Find what kind of positive reinforcement your students respond to and go with it. Retention is important, and finding ways to help your students retain the information provided will help them transfer what they know to the field. Never ridicule a student or be combative with their answers, questions, or comments. Students that begin to feel unable to speak without being ridiculed will shut down and rarely do well in the class.

Finding different ways of keeping your students attention can be challenging, but trust yourself and in your abilities. If you show confidence, your students tend to trust and follow. Find activities to keep your class engaged. Make sure to remind them of the goal they are trying to achieve, and encourage them with positive feedback. Make them feel like they are progressing even when it might not seem like it.

It all comes down to keeping an respectful, secure, and engaging classroom setting. Maintaining an environment of respect within your class as far as student to student and teacher to student interactions. Making all your students feel safe to speak their mind, ask questions, and share ideas without fear of being ridiculed or feeling incompetent. Overall, finding ways to keep the class fun and interesting for the different learning styles you will encounter. Keeping away from the "dictator" approach and letting students help guide your teaching strategy to better fit their individual needs.

In your classes you will have students from all walks of life. Understanding this and paying attention to how your students vary from one another is key for student retention. You must be versatile in your teaching approach to better suit your students, and be aware that what works for some students may not work for others. Getting to know your students and making them feel heard and understood is important to build rapport and keeping your students motivated. Learning how to handle grievances and conflict with students in an effective manner is important for keeping morale up in your… >>>