Motivating a student
An instructor should frequently praise his or her students. When an instructor praises a student,it can only motivate the student to do better in his or her course work.
For example, if a student does not understand the reading material completly, praise the student for his or her efforts and help the student understand the reading material.
This motivation strategy will lead to improving the student's learning process.
Jose, well stated and positive reinforcement cannot be over emphasized. For some students the only positive motivation comes from their school so always being positive can be a major factor in overall student success.
James Jackson
I agree. I find many of my students to be extremely receptive to positive feedback not only on their schoolwork results but in their effort as well. Many seem to need the constant encouragement of being on the right track. Often I find that rarely outside of school, do my students receive any type of positive feedback and/or encouragement.
students success comes from positive motivation from their insturctors. students need constant encouragment to succeed
Cynthia, well stated. Positive reinforcement is more suited for long term understanding versus negative feedback which is more suited for short term memorization.
James Jackson
I try to motivate my students by never telling them they are wrong with an answer. I'll respond with "almost", "not quite", "i get where your coming from, but that's not quite what I'm after", and other similar responses.
I also never try to call them out on something. I don't like to be put on the spot, embarrassed, etc., so I try to treat them as I want to be treated. It works.
I agree... I teach a very hands on class, I find that when I praise the students while I correct them works wonders for their self esteem. They almost always do better the next time around and seem so proud of them selves which seems to be contagious throughout the class room.
I too do not like to be put on the spot. So, as a student, I often would choose to sit in the back row. However, sometimes I would find myself not being as actively engaged in the learning if I did this. I think a nice balance to this is knowing that the teacher is going to actively engage you by asking questions but the questions could be group oriented or non-intimidating in response nature.
Being a graduate of a career college helps me to motivate my students. Its the old "look how this program made me a success" stategy that helps me to motivate my students. I relate my failures to them as well as my success as a graduate.
David, excellent use of personal experience to help students better relate to the justifications for them to engage in the curriculum and with you as the instructor. The more you can bring the students into your own world and experiences, the more they will learn.
James Jackson
My approach to motivate students is to use a lot of real live examples, I usually check for videos, documents that explain the situation from different perspectives. I like the TED seminars, they are shorts and with diversity of topics that I can use to show them in class.
Edgar, great use of different engagement tools. The more you can engage students with different mediums the more you are likely to reach them and get them directly involved in their own learning.
James Jackson
I sometimes find a quite student working on a project and doing a very good job. I like to acknowledge them and let the other students give their good feedback on the the shy person's work.
Michele, sharing ideas among peers can greatly enhance the overall learning by students both introverts and extroverts. This is why it is important to provide multiple avenues of how students can provide responses to best accommodate their preferred learning style.
James Jackson
This was an interesting course as motivation appears to be a common theme, in terms, of a means to improve student retention and maximizing transfer of learning. I too agree with the constructivist learning theory and advocate for opportunities that include student group exercises with the instructor as a facilitator.
James, glad you found the course interesting. Are there any specific take-a ways you plan to implement within your own classroom? Thanks for anything you can share.
James Jackson
I found this course very helpful and reinforcing of some of my practices. I find that treating students with respect goes a very long way- encouraging rather than belittling, applauding efforts creates an environment that is conducive to learning.
Being a chef instructor in a school where the age, intellectual, and maturity levels vary greatly. I believe that positive feedback and encouragement can be a springboard for the success of some students who have not had this in their past.Equally important is the honest feedback on where the student is at time, and what the student needs to do to achieve success.
Being a chef instructor in a school where the age, intellectual, and maturity levels vary greatly. I believe that positive feedback and encouragement can be a springboard for the success of some students who have not had this in their past.Equally important is the honest feedback on where the student is at time, and what the student needs to do to achieve success.
Craig, what you describe is more common than you may realize. In fact, I have yet to see any instructor that explains their institution as a homogeneous mixture of students that are all at the same level in any category. That being said, I totally agree with your comments. We as instructors need to lead by example and model the way for our students to follow. For some of our students our kind words of encouragement may be the only positive influence they receive in their day. Always remain positive and model the behavior you want your students to follow.
James Jackson
