Motivation is vital in opening a student’s mind to learning. And just like children differ in behavior and personalities, what motivates different learners also differ. What will encourage a particular student differs from what motivates other learners.
If pupils aren’t motivated, no amount of instruction, reading, or other resources will make them eager to learn and willing to put in the necessary effort.
Teachers can play a crucial role in giving and supporting such motivation in their pupils, as motivation, both intrinsic and extrinsic, is a major aspect in students’ performance at all levels of their education. All children are driven differently, so it takes time and a lot of work to figure out how to make a classroom full of kids excited about learning, working hard, and pushing themselves to succeed. Of course, this is easier said than done because it takes time and a lot of effort to do.
In addition, while some students may be more visual learners who learn better when they see with their eyes how the idea you’re explaining works, others may incline more to the auditory side, where they gain a better understanding by just explanation.
As a result, understanding your learners is key to managing students to bring out their best during learning.
Here following are some helpful tips you can try in your course on managing your students:
- Establish a Comfortable Relationship
A study has shown that students will only open up to you once they feel comfortable around you. And to make them flow with you, there must be a healthy relationship. Only then will they feel safe and, in turn, trust and respect you. To do this, you must always set up the classroom energy on a positive note. Avoid harsh criticisms and correct them lovingly. When you do this, the child will be more receptive to whatever information you have to give than otherwise.
- Reward Hardwork
Students often give less than full effort when attempting assignments, class projects, and other responsibilities. A reward-based system motivates students to show interest and increased participation in classroom duties, including building self-esteem and creating a happy classroom environment.
When you reward students for doing well in a task, they tend to conform to the appropriate behavior. You can also give them motivation assessments to discover what spurs them to take action.
- Get to Know Your Students
Getting to know your students is another critical key to unlocking a student’s potential in your classroom, and this goes beyond just cramming their names. Learners should feel that you have a genuine interest in them and that you care more about their success and want to help them achieve success.
Know which students are better visual learners and those that are auditory learners. Identify their strengths and weakness, enquire about their wellbeing, monitor their progress, and encourage them along the way. This level of interest will indicate that you genuinely care about their success.
- Open Your Lesson with Something Catchy
The opener in every exercise, dialogue, music, movie, writing, etc., is what will hint to your audience if what they’re about to spend their time on will be worth it or not. If you walk into a classroom and go straight up to the day’s business, you may have difficulty getting a positive response.
Begin with something that will catch their attention–a story, fun activity, etc. Just be innovative and study the classroom; you’ll find an exciting opener to your lesson that captivates your student’s attention.
- Create Positive Competition
Positive competition among students in your classroom is also a good thing. It helps to create a team spirit among students and understand themselves better in views and opinions. Making students work as a group will help them better understand their collective tasks through sharing opinions and ideas. Knowing that the other group is also working on a similar project will motivate them to bond with one another as they strive to achieve a common goal.
- Assign Responsibilities to Students
When you assign small jobs to students in your classroom, you instill a sense of community and leadership, which can go a long way in boosting their motivation. The psychological angle is that the majority will feel a sense of importance and privilege rather than a burden. And you can sometimes rotate these responsibilities from time to time so that every child participates, as this will help them feel important and valued.
- Spice Up the Scenery
Too much study can be dull, especially for young students. A little extracurricular from time to time is a healthy way to renew motivation, and you can try out outdoor activities like field trips, excursions, or even visit the library. The point is to get them out of the classroom and offer them a new setting. Something to spice up the atmosphere and keep the brain motivated.
- Set High But Attainable Goals
Just like the muscle gets strengthened through constant exercise, the brain gets better and better when you push it to complete higher but achievable tasks. Students won’t grow if you are not pushing them to do better than the minimum. It’s a healthy and mental exercise when you give students higher challenges and goals they can achieve if they put in the extra effort.
- Reflect Enthusiasm for Learning
Though making every learning period game time is near impossible, you should make your teaching convincing. One way to effect this is by believing in what you teach and being enthusiastic about it. It will no doubt engage the student’s curiosity, and they will want to find out, and in the process, they might get hooked on the teaching. This tactic is often underrated, but it works like a charm.
In Conclusion
These are just a few helpful ways students can be motivated to learn. There are many more innovative ways, and there will always be room for improvement. The key point remains that as long as a teacher can capture a student’s interest, they are halfway to motivating them for assessment success.