I wish you all the best in 2015. year. A lot of health, success, love and happiness. Let's pursue your dreams and careers. In this post, I am going to say a few words about it how to motivate our students. We all know that we have to motivate both good and those who are less good in learning language, i.e. we have to find appropriate ways how to make them so interested in the process of learning the language. At the very beginning, it is very difficult, but it is worth trying.
Here are some pieces of advice:
Students arrive in our classrooms
with the full-range of motivations – and sometimes with what we see as a
remarkable lack of motivation. Motivating students is one of the most
challenging things we do as educators, and some of us want to throw up our hands
in frustration or proclaim that there is little we can do to motivate students
to learn. It is true that students carry
with them many past experiences that contribute to their motivation in our
classrooms. However, teachers can make a difference, for better or for worse,
in motivating students to learn. This module is written to give you a basic
understanding of what motivates students and to provide some sense of how you
can create this motivation. As you read, you will note that many of the ideas
we have covered elsewhere are identified here as important to motivation. Keep
the following points in mind:
Our ideal goal as teachers is to
help students develop the intrinsic motivation that will allow them to become
life-long learners.While this module provides many
tips you can use to motivate students, many of the ideas outlined here come
under a simple rule: respect your students as learners.
Teaching Assistants, because of
their closeness to undergraduates, are often in an excellent position to show the
respect, caring and concern as teachers that motivate students.
Active learning – engaging
students in the class and working with their peers- is an important contributor
to student learning.
Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic
Motivation
Extrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic motivation is what we
are most familiar with in education; it is motivation to act that comes from
the external environment, outside of the person. When we are motivated
extrinsically, we act with the anticipation of rewards – grades, praise, money,
time off from work, or some other incentive. For instance, teachers motivate
students to come to class regularly and join in discussions through the use of
participation grades.
When used wisely and
thoughtfully, extrinsic motivation can be quite helpful in furthering student
learning. We can use extrinsic motivation to our advantage as educators if we
know what motivates students, but we need to do so carefully. For example, many
students are concerned about their grades, either because of a desire to continue
on in school or due to pressure from their parents, and they will do what it
takes to earn good grades. So, if we know that grades are
important, we can use tests and papers to motivate students to build the skills
and knowledge we expect them to have. For instance, if students can succeed
simply by memorizing, then they will memorize. However, if tests and papers
require analysis and integration of ideas, then students will learn these
higher-order skills.
Motivating Your Students
Intrinsic Motivation
If extrinsic motivation comes
from without, then intrinsic motivation comes from within.Intrinsically motivated learners
want to learn because they are curious, they want to improve, they seek
knowledge, and learning gives them satisfaction. McKeachie notes that this form of
motivation nurtures and encourages the habit of life-long learning. As students
leave school, external motivators for learning, such as grades and praise, are
replaced by long-term goals and less immediate rewards. Intrinsic motivation
encourages us to continue learning regardless of what rewards come our way.
How Do We Motivate Students?
Some students worry about grades;
others need to satisfy a course prerequisite. Still others want to learn and
explore ideas. In fact, many students are probably motivated to learn and to
succeed by a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic elements. The key for us as
teachers is to understand what we can do to build students’ motivation to learn
in our classroom, and to nurture the intrinsic motivation that will guide
future learning.
We know that students respond
positively to three elements in most classes (Davis, 1993):
A well-organized course;
A teacher who is enthusiastic
about the material and about teaching;
A teacher who shows he or she
cares about the students and their learning.
The first point is very important
to motivation and is covered in other modules. The remainder of this module,
then, will address the questions of enthusiasm (also discussed to some degree
in the module on communication) and demonstrating care for students and student
learning.
Below are some basic actions you
can take to motivate students in your classroom. You will note, as you read,
that these ideas are interconnected; they are part of a complete effort to
build relationships with and motivate students. Communicate high but attainable
expectations and goals. Most students want to be challenged and feel that they
are directing their energies toward a worthwhile experience.
This means that they will work to
achieve challenging goals if they view the goals as within their reach. True,
some students are motivated by the fear of the daunting “killer test,” but you
will lose more students than you gain, and those you gain will not retain their
motivation outside of the classroom.
Give students the chance to
succeed. High standards for student work are fine, but it is important to make
those standards clear and give students a chance to discover and meet them.
You may want to consider the
following suggestions to help students succeed:
Give a test, quiz or paper early
in the semester, return it to students, and give them a chance to retake or
rewrite it. This lets them learn the standards and have a chance to improve.
Rather than giving a few large
tests and assignments, give smaller more frequent ones.
This makes the material students
must learn more manageable and gives them more chances to succeed.
Motivating Your Students
Increase the difficulty of tests
and assignments over time. Tell students you are doing this to help them learn
your expectations and develop knowledge and skills to draw upon.
Give early, immediate and
comprehensive feedback. The idea of giving feedback is closely related to
giving students a chance to succeed. In order to learn, students need and want to
know the standards and expectations you have for their performance. Thorough comments
from you on tests and assignments show students what is needed to succeed.
But your comments do more than
just this: they also show the students that you respect them and are committed
to their learning. Students notice when a teacher does (or does not) put forth
effort in making comments on student work, and they respond accordingly.
Create a learning community in
your classroom. McKeachie notes that interaction, particularly with peers, is an
important motivator for many students. There are several easy steps you can
take to create an environment where students see themselves as part of a
community of learners rather than as isolated individuals. Reward success
publicly. This does not need to be an elaborate effort. Thank students for
their comments, compliment good points by saying “good point,” and refer back
to individual students for their contributions when you can. Share exemplary work with
students. Copy, distribute (without names and with permission) and discuss
outstanding papers or assignments. This helps students see your standards and
it recognizes students who do outstanding work.
1) Use collaborative/cooperative learning
groups.
2) Students respond to interaction with their peers.
3) Putting students in
groups can therefore promote their learning.
4) Know your students and their
interests.
5) If you know who your students are and what they are involved in, you
can adjust your class to connect with their interests. This can help them see
the relevance of the material and motivate them to engage in class.
For instance, one professor
teaches a course on French culture in which most of the students are Business
or International Relations majors. Upon learning this information, the
professor created a project where students worked in groups of three to
determine the feasibility of locating a major shopping store in various
locations in France. Use a variety of teaching methods.
No matter how gifted you are as a teacher, using the same method to teach each
class can become monotonous – for you and for the students – causing the
students to lose interest and motivation. When possible, vary your methods within
and between classes. Break students into groups, give mini-lectures, have class
discussions, use case studies, stage a debate, etc. This variety engages and
motivates students.
Avoid individual competition.
Competition in and of itself is not necessarily a negative. Pitting groups
against one another in games that help them learn the material can be a useful
motivator. However, you should avoid creating a situation where students see themselves
in direct competition with one another for grades.
Try to prevent too much anxiety
from developing among students. Most of us tend to work a little harder or a
little longer when we are worried about an important test or a big event and
want to make sure we succeed. However, too much anxiety can make us want to
give up and not even try. This is why it is important to have reasonable goals and
expectations and give students a chance to succeed.
If you have some examples of how to motivate your students, please add here or write to my e-mail: radepetricevic@yahoo.com.
Best regards...
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