The students that really enjoy my courses comment that I can be a good motivator. I teach my subjects from many years of experience and I constantly tell them stories from the field, and how an assignment will help them in the real world. Now that I am back to working full-time, it is easy for me to do. The workplace is changing and I feel I am able to observe and pass on.
Motivating students at the beginning of the quarter and at the start of the day will give them a reason to stay focused and want to keep coming back each day.
I have found that I can motivate and generate interest by using examples from my own personal experience. If you present this kind of information with a positive attitude the students can become more engaged.
Students need to realize that their emotions are going to be waiting for them when class is over. They need to understand the value of their education and not allow their emotions to get in the way. When students bring emotion to class, I listen for the importance of the distraction and transition back to the lesson at hand. I relate to my students and encourage them to stay focused.
By tapping into a student's emotions, it allows you to become more connected with them. They have a better correlation to the context if you can relate it in a way that allows them to better observe from their own personal lives/feelings. This will also allow them to do better on quizzes because they have a better connection all around.
Helen,
Yes, the first thing they hear is often times how their day will go.
Philip Campbell
Juan,
Personal experiences are great examples of real learning. It is ok to suggest a theory, but hen you use a real example, that is what is concrete.
Philip Campbell
I agree. I share personal experiences with my students so that they truly understand the significance and consequences of a topic. They provide great feedback and this sometimes leads to an in-depth class discussion.
Most of my students come from socially and financially depressed segments of the population. It seems the most prevelant emotions are gloom and despair. I attempt to show them how the skills they are learning in school can change their lives and specifically how the class I am teaching them at that time will directly impact what they will be doing for a living. Since I come from a lower socio-economic population I can use personal experience to show if this type of education and career can change my life, it can do the same for them. Hope for something better can alter the negative emotions they bring into the class room and make them more receptive students.
I do agree by giving students examples of their real life situations at work places so they can understand the importance of soft skills and acting in a professional way.
you can tap into students emotions by bringing to class discussion topics of professional interest where students have to show and probe their knowledge through reasoning not only memorizing, making the group discussions so that students interact with peers and validate them-self individually and publicly, rewarding learning outcomes, the right attitudes.
My classes are all business related so from the day one I motivate my students by letting them know that they are already business people. I also try to learn from them the type of business they are in or would like to have. Knowing this information, all the topics we go through during the term, I relate them to their business. If studying a new concept, I would ask them how they would make decisions for their company based on what has been learned. This motivates my students to participate and work hard in their assignments. They get to enjoy them!
Your thoughts?
Hossai,
Being professional is important especially in tough situations.
Philip Campbell
Jimmy,
This examples get them thinking about what they may do, and also gives them good examples to work from when they enter employment.
Philip Campbell
One way to motivate students during instruction by tapping into their emotions is to have an instructor led class discussion about a controversial or popular topic. Students tend to have strong opinions and don't mind expressing them. Students may open up more and feel more comfortable as a result of these types of class discussions.
Another way to motivate students during instruction by tapping into their emotions is to have a journal or writing assignment (or class discussion) about a current event or "real-world" issue that requires them to write their opinion or point of view.
A third way to motivate students during instruction by tapping into their emotions is to have the students to direct the lecture based on the topic(s) they feel are most important or most interesting to them.
A fourth way to motivate students during instruction by tapping into their emotions is to have a in-class survey centered around EQ or other related subject matter.
Temante,
Tying work into emotions is a powerful tool.
Philip Campbell
I try to find out what students are passionate about and then relate what we are speaking about to that topic matter if possible.
An effective ways that has helped me motivate students during class sessions by tapping into their emotions by telling stories that they can relate too and correlate w/ course content, relate to student's point of view, and provide constructive feedback and ways to improve performance both with course and in real life application of course material.
Jon,
Keep doing those specific things in class. The students appreciate the time it takes to personalize things for them.
Philip Campbell
I agree completely. Specifically being in the healthcare field, when you can relate their training to specific situations you have experienced in the "real world" then they tend to see the value/importance and will store that information long term instead of short term memorization. Students tend to come to you and share their own experiences as related to lecture or lab when they deal with those scenarios/situations in clinic.
