Education - Motivating your students

Many teachers find it difficult to properly motivate their students. While it is important to keep in mind that every student is unique and each has different interests, it is also important to understand that many motivational tools can be successfully applied in order to achieve a higher level of interest during your lessons. I'm going to be listing some methods which I found extremely successful while teaching.

• Common Goals: while educators are obviously aware of what their role in the classroom is, the same cannot be said about all students. Arrange for a class discussion and ask each student why they feel the need to be learning that particular subject. I would not suggest that you make this the first lesson...wait a couple of weeks until you feel that the students are comfortable with your presence in the class. This will allow students to be open and honest about their responses. Touch topics such as: "Do you think it is important for you to know this subject?" or "How will this subject help you in real life?" or "How will, this subject help you to continue your education?". A discussion such as this will allow students to understand that, even though their personal motivations are different from each others', they still share the same goal with the rest of the other students. Some students do not lend much thought to why they are in the classroom, this discussion will help them understand their role and why it is important for them to learn that particular subject.
• Education and entertainment: no matter the age group of your students, it is a well known fact that merging an element of entertainment with education is the best recipe for success. It is important that you do not rely entirely on books...break the monotony by engaging students in fun activities. Make use of games, PowerPoint presentations, movies...the possibilities are practically unlimited.
• Mutual respect: sometimes we, as educators, fail to understand that respect needs to be earned. It is true that students are not as knowledgeable about your subject as you are, but that does not make them any less intelligent. You need to understand that each student is an individual, with different opinions and ideas. Make sure that you allow room for discussion, make sure that each student is heard. Do not be biased about your responses. When you respect your students they will respect you back. Respect is one of the best motivational tools to be used in a classroom.

I have found that the above are the most successful tools to be used when motivating students. Motivated students make our job much more worthwhile and so much easier. If you have any more ideas, don't hesitate to share them with us by leaving a comment.

Cheers :)