As a teacher you may well know that there are days when even your best students need a bit of encouragement. There are various ways you can turn boring days into excitement by motivating students.
1. Your Communication With Your Students
In studies it has been proven that children will fulfill and complete expectations that are communicated to them from an adult. This means at all times you should be communicating positive messages to all your students. Encouragement and optimism will go a long way in seeing successful results from your students.
Show your students areas of improvement and progress and turn areas of struggles into something positive and how to improve. Constant encouragement will help your students to visualize success which will help them accomplish the reachable goals you require of them.
2. Incorporate Various Learning Styles
Teach a variety of learning styles to keep the interest levels of your students high. Some learners are auditory and others kinesthetic you will need to target both of these types of learners by careful planning of your lessons taught. This helps to engage even with students who struggle to stay focused during lessons.
3. Analyzing Students Who Disengage During Lessons
There are various methods of teaching that may cause some of your students to disengage during lessons. It is important to watch out for these patterns and to record the method you use in order to avoid the same pattern from occurring in the future. You may not be able to accommodate the specific needs of each and every student but it is advisable to try avoiding these methods in order to keep students motivated at their highest levels possible.
4. Using Different Materials For Teaching Purposes
You are probably expected to stick to a certain curriculum set out for the year, however you can always incorporate additional resources to keep the attention of your students. Introducing alternative perspectives will help to reengage students who have previously lost interest in your traditional methods of teaching.
Additionally you can further motivate students in your classroom by adding new challenges to students who prefer the more traditional methods.
5. Vary Your Teaching Environment
By going on field trips or taking your class outdoors on occasion for lessons can bring in a fresh approach to the subject you are teaching. Field trips are an excellent way for students to learn in a practical setting. Other ways to change the environment is to switch classrooms or get your students to meet you in the library or outside on a playing field.
You can help your students to reach their reading, speaking and listening goals by adding variety and change in environment. Encourage your students to conduct research at places such as the library, and take your students into public areas for speaking lessons.
6. Provide Your Students With An Amount Of Accountability
This means that your students will have deadlines in completing tasks within the classroom setting or home work that must be completed for the following day. It should be clearly stated at the beginning of each term the amount of assignments due and the time frame in which these tasks will need to be completed. Students require direction, rules and regulations in order to have a set goal in mind in completing tasks on time.
Contract grades with students who are over achievers this will ensure that these students will be motivated and driven to ensure they maintain their higher grade status. It is not advisable to try and make these types of contracts with students who usually experience lower grades as this could set them up for failure.
This self motivation technique is great for students who aspire to better themselves. Your students will be given a clear indication of what is expected from them over the year. This technique provides students with self motivation and aids well in the process of learning the curriculum.
7. Observing Student Behavior
Some students will show signs of misbehavior when you teach them. These same students may behave differently when and outside element is bought into the classroom. Bring in a guest speaker or trade classes will a fellow teacher as this brings in a new role in authority. The change in authority and style of teaching may spark a change in behavior in problematic students who have become too accustomed to your expectations and teaching styles.
8. Implement Competition In The Classroom
By fostering a positive and friendly way of competition in a classroom setting can aid in motivating students. An example of implementing competition is to incorporate challenging games pertaining to the relevant teaching material.
Group your students and give them an activity to present before the class and reward the group who displays the best result by giving them a higher grade. Any type of study material can have some sort of competition attached to motivate a fun way of learning for students.
9. Using Reward Systems
This is a method that has been used for many years by teachers and parents in order to motivate children to complete tasks. There are various ways to use reward methods and it is highly advisable to make it a group effort so that all the students in your class with feel included. Reward methods do not have to mean you will need to spend a lot of money. Simple stickers such as smiley faces or stars on test papers are guaranteed to give a student inspiration and a feeling of pride on good work they have done. Rewards can turn a dull and boring subject into something exciting.
By thinking up of new ways to enliven and engage your students you will be guaranteed to keep motivation levels high. Variety is what will keep your students attention and will go a long way in motivating students in the correct manner.
Remember to take all your students into consideration for motivational methods and to keep their spirits high these will include your average, over and under achievers.
