Any suggestions for motivating students that are ready to give up?
I would love to hear suggestions from others regarding motivating students that are ready to give up on their education and/or those that are not applying themselves to their abilities.
Karla,
This would be a great forum to get that. Don't be afraid to review other MaxKnowledge courses for the same info. Also, look to have meetings with your faculty to generate ideas.
Philip Campbell
I think finding out why the student came to school is a huge part of being able to motivate them. Soft skills will definately come in handy to find this information. We often lose focus of our goals after a few weeks, so it's wonderful to be able to remind a student of their ultimate goal. If the student has other teachers, then sometimes it helps to brainstorm with another teacher that knows the student as well.
At the beginning of the quarter I try to relay a message of partnership with the student. I make sure it is clear that the only thing we cannot overcome in the scope of successful completion of the course is death. And when a student is havinf difficulties at home or situations arise where the student feels overwhelmed I want them to know that WE can overcome any obstacle as long as I know ahead of time and we come up with a plan. I want them to see me try hard to help them complete the course and I used that among the skills I have noticed in the student to motivate them to finish and complete the course successfully.
Allison,
This is a big part of the equation. It is those reasons that will continue to motivate them when they get down. So we should try to remind them every now and then.
Philip Campbell
Reality Check! Not all students are where they should be. As noted, give it your best shot but don't beat yourself up. I've been there a few times.
Some students already gave up. the bad thing is that so many instructors try and motivate the wrong students. at times we need to help the ones that want to be there and not the ones getting by. we all have about 2 or 3 students in each class that don't care but have 20 or more that care to be there those are the ones we need to be focused on.
Brian,
It is a balancing act. You are right, usually we spend more time on those who we feel do not put as much time and energy towards their education. But something to keep in mind is that the people who we sometimes do not give as much attention usually do not need it. Not say they do not deserve any because they do. But they are intrinsically motivated and therefore need less attention.
Philip Campbell
I agree. The student you think doesn't want to be there really wants to be there. I could be that they don't have the support they need at home. If I notice that a student seems like they don't care I try to find out what is wrong and then I tell them "if you quit they win, if you stay in school you win". This has most always worked for me. They come back and say "I can hear you say those words everytime I wanted to quit"
Migdalia,
Good tactics. It really helps students when they "hear" you. When they come back with comments like that you know they are listening, even though you thought they were not.
Philip Campbell
I think it's important to discern if the students is ready to give up because of a particular personal situation, or if they are just lazy and not applying themselves to the best of their ability. If it's because of a personal situation, our school has community resources that we can refer the student towards. If they are being lazy, then we need to meet with them, one on one, and talk with them about their life goals and what brought them to school in the first place. Possibly arranging for the student to meet with a past graduate who has gone on to be successful in their own career may possibly be a motivating event for this student.
I have students who has unstable homes. I try to instill in them that an education is worth the effort required. We all will have trials and tribulations, but it is the one still struggling, determined to stand that will receive the reward.
Regena,
Keep motivating them. They will see the rewards, the hardest part is convincing them it takes time.
Philip Campbell
I couldn't agree more Brian. It is next to impossible to help someone that doesn't want to help themselves. I've noticed that a lot of students who really try hard and still struggle often never come to me and ask for help. When I fill out and go over my students' mid-term evaluations I take these students to the side and let them know what else they could do to improve their grade and offer any assistance that I can give them.
Ashley,
Good point. Confidence may be the factor here. How can we help boost confidence so that those students feel comfortable approaching us?
Philip Campbell
A few ways that I try to boost confidence in students are by writing positive comments on their assignments, encouraging them to speak up in class and praising them for doing so, and letting them know when I notice that they are making improvements or acknowledging when they appear to be giving it their best.
Adrianne,
Acknowledging their efforts on papers is an easy way to motivate. Good idea.
Philip Campbell
