Student Motivation
...positive that will help students feel that they are valued members of a learning community. · Present the course material in an enthusiastic and understandable manner. · Give frequent, early, positive feedback that supports students' beliefs that they can do well. In order to establish this positive atmosphere, one should try to mesh the needs of their students with the course objectives. Take time at the beginning of the semester to learn what are student expectations and interests for this course. This is a way to personalize what they are hoping to gain. Engage students in the course by getting them actively involved. Because of this insight one can then make appropriate adjustments in the course to meet their needs. Use the information that students give at the beginning of the semester about their strengths and interests as one plans the details of the course. For instance, focus examples, case studies or assignments around student interests or experiences. Utilize student experiences and, when possible, give students some say or some options in determining what will be studied. One should also be enthusiastic about what they are teaching. If a teacher was to express boredom or be unprepared for a lesson, the students would sense that. However, if the teacher is enthused and excited about the content and the material, that excitement will carry over and help motivate the students. Through the use of different teaching strategies and methods one could hope that students do not become bored with “the same old routine.” Educators should make class activities and exercises meaningful so that students can apply what they learn from them to other areas of the course or to their own experiences. When giving directions one should be clear and precise. Otherwise students will spend a great deal of time trying to figure out exactly what the assignment is and get frustrated, thus resulting in poor quality work or a total lack of assignment completion. It is also important to give students appropriate feedback as quickly as possible. Teachers should keep the same standards as their students with regards to completing assignments on time. Tests and papers should be returned promptly, while rewarding success publicly or privately depending on the student and their level of comfort. Students must be given some indication of how well they have done and how to ...