Students are no different than normal people. We are all motivated by different things be it time, money, emotional gratification, etc. The trick is to find out what little incentives will keep the individual student going. I've found that students are motivated when they feel like their time is being respected. Busy work and work for the sake of work isn't tolerated. Each assignment needs to be meaningful and relevant.
Hi Hilary,
This is a very good point. We instructors need to make sure that we are giving our students assignments that enable them to grow and gain new knowledge about their field. Busy work has no place in the career college classroom.
Gary
Their reason for being enrolled in school, their life situation, their interest in the class and the presentation of the class by the instructor.
A simple hand shake after a hard lab task help the sudent stay motivated
Hi Gary,
It is often the simple gestures such as a hand shake that encourages that student to come back the next day and the day after that. Small steps to a big goal is what gets each of us to where we want to be.
Gary
For those of us teaching the General Education courses such as composition, this can be a tougher sell. Our courses are required, but usually not looked at with great enthusiasm. However, since many students may have had a lifelong resistance to writing, they may respond well to some encouragement as they discover that it is not a difficult as they imagined. With some time, attention, and practice, the students can learn to write better and will then have a strong skill which will serve them well in their careers. The confidence that comes from mastering something that was always assumed to be impossible is a boost to other learning.
Hi Charles,
Great point concerning transference of success. Once success is gained in a required course and they see that that success can be used in other courses it is like a landslide of "ah-ha" moments start to occur.
Gary
If the student see his instructor as a positive role model, then the sudent will have the motivationton do well in school
There are so many factors that contribute to motivation for the students and they are all so personal and individual to each student. They can be financial, goal-oriented, career advancement, love of learning, and more. My biggest question is how do you balance the need to meet these individual motivations and get all the material out to them that you need to? It appears that some ways of teaching would be motivating to some and not to others and that you just have to mix it up.
Hi Denise,
Teaching is much like a buffet line. By offering variety you will appeal to the different learning preferences and engage the students. This keeps their interest in the content and class activities.
Gary
Creating an evironment where students have ample opportunities to succeed. Rather than give two or three massive tests and base their grades on tham, utilize smaller methods of assessment using a variety of methods (short open book quizzes to test reading, critical thinking questions, group projects, games, etc.) that taps the various methods that students learn. Not only does this increase motivation but also retention.
I have found that most of my students - generally in their thirties - are motivated by what they see in their workplaces. Fellow employees that have degrees get better, more challenging, more satisfying, and better paying positions. They want to improve their lives/positions with an education directly related to their careers. I love teaching these students as they are motivated, do not miss classes, do their homework and make demands of me to teach - they ask questions until they 'get it'
Hi William,
I agree with you about this student segment. They are fun to teach and a joy to watch learn. They make it easy to go to work each day.
Gary
Motivation...kinda equals interst, desire, passion...If you can assess a students reasons for being in class, what they want out of the class, and what their passions are for the content of the class, use that to develop and present subject matter that encorporates what gets the student "excited" and interested.
All students need motivation whatever their ages.The old students ask me to put happy face on their paper if they got good grades.
I like to acknowledge students for their persistence and their commitment to their education. This can be especially effective when a student has failed a test or even a class. I can be honest and straight-forward in praising them for not giving up, and this often inspires them to give it another try after a particularly difficult class or quarter. I've found some students need me to sit in a computer lab with them while they work on assignments. I can be working on other projects, but just knowing I'm there and available if a questions comes up keeps them working and helps them realize how much they really do know.
Hi Claire,
Good point about providing instructional support. Even though we are teaching adults they still need support at times much like children. The fact you are sitting there gives them a great deal of comfort so they have a higher level of self confidence even when they don't need any direct help.
Gary
Rosemary and all,
I would agree that showing current students that others who once walked their path have succeeded will motivate and empower them. I keep clippings of articles and copies of e-mails I've received from graduates and show them to my current students as models of achievement. They also compete with one another to see who makes into my book first after graduation!
In a recent literature review, I identified several factors influencing motivation:
- clarity of role and expectations (do students understand learning events and what they must to be successful)
- role expansion (are there opportunties for students to go beyond course leanring events and continue to grow)
- task diversity (does a course contain a diverse number and type of learning events)
- reward, recognition and reinforcement (the 3 R's, self explanatory)
I think they recognize that they might have missed out on a significant opportunity earlier in life and want to experience every aspect of leaning - including the smiley faces - this is a remarkable phenomena.
