Motivation
I realize that factors that motivate myself as an instructor do not fall too far from the tree as my students would desire. Students have their own individual reasons that motivate themselves in a classroom, hence extrinsic vs. intrinsic motivation. It's an instructors role to allow the students some autonomy in the classroom in order to empower the student and make the class subject more conducive to the students learning experience.
we have a problem with the shifts the students are on, we teach 3 shifts of students starting at 0530 and ending at after midnight, the students work some full time and being tired it is sometimes a bit difficult to get them moving so to speak, I have tried numerous methods over the years and each class is different. I give each and every class 100%+ and a lot of the time this will do the trick, other times I need to talk to them on their level/background and that works. So every class has it's challenge and rewards.
motivation is definitely a problem when teaching a very specialized subject like cvt.The student's here the same words over and over again in the course of the day(i.e. heart,tricuspid valve,volume overload,stenosis etc.).after lunch especially,after 5 hours of the heart,the next class is pretty much more of the same.The key is relating what they learn in class,with what they see in lab.Sometimes after a lecture on a particular part of the heart,or a particular formula,I like to bring them right in the lab and show them what i mean on a living heart.It is much better than pictures,and they are stimulated by the interaction,and correlation to the material,thus motivating them.
The role of career services advisor requires me to co-teach by presenting various career related workshops each term. Because the workshops are held often I find that students often lack motivation to even sit in the classroom. One of the practices our department has implemented that encourages students is ice breakers. The ice breakers engage students and allow them to practice and develop skills including handshakes, interview role playing, and filling out employment applications. We are attempting to teach students both security and autonomy in career related matters such as interviewing, resume review, externship course success, and gaining employment. These topics are crucial in helping students’ secure paid positions within the industry thus intrinsic and extrinsic motivation that will allow them to begin their future career in the industry.
Rod, no doubt you have some unique challenges. Not all students are capable of working an 8 hour day and then fully engage in a learning process. You seem to have the perfect attitude with respect to each group and each students will have different needs. By focusing on how best you can assist each student you provide the maximum learning opportunity for all of your students.
James Jackson
Lissete, the more active you can make the learning experience the more engaged your students will be and the more they will take away from your class sessions. We learn more by doing than we do by sitting is listening.
James Jackson
