How do I motivate my students? This is probably the number one question we get from teachers. How do you get 27 students to follow directions, comply with a request, or get to work? There’s no doubt that it can be challenging. You can’t motivate someone else, but you CAN set the stage for optimal motivation to occur. Creating an atmosphere where students are motivated to learn involves long-term processes such as building relationships with students and creating a classroom culture of respect.
What if you need something that works in the short term? Short term rewards such as stickers or prizes often work in the moment, but have lasting negative consequences for overall motivation. Here are five things you can do today to increase the likelihood that students will be motivated.
1. Explain the reason why the task or request is important. As an adult, you want to know why you should do things, and it is no different for students. “Because I said so” may sound authoritative, but it isn’t very motivational. Understanding the purpose for doing something is a strong motivator.
2. Make sure student’s basic needs are met. When you are hungry or thirsty or need to go to the bathroom, it is more difficult to focus on a task. Students may also need a quick movement break. Just standing and stretching or doing a few simple exercises can increase blood flow to the brain and prime the pump for learning.
3. Offer students a choice of ways to complete a task or a choice in which task to complete. When we are given choices, we feel a sense of autonomy. We are more likely to complete a task when we feel some sense of control over what or how we do it. The need for autonomy has been heavily researched and it directly connects to personal motivation.
4. Make sure students clearly understand the task. What should they do? How should they do it? What are your expectations for the task? When should it be finished? Write details on the board, and have students repeat directions. This is basic, but if students are confused about what to do or how to do it, they will often choose to disregard the task and do something of their own choosing- something we consider “off task.”
5. Consider your language. Which is more appealing…”You get to practice counting coins so you will always know how much money you have” or “you have to do problems 1-39 on page 67.” Consider the difference between “read chapter 4” or “read chapter 4 to find out all the dangers the explorers faced and find out how the Captain saved the crew.” For more about the power of language see this post.
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Wishing you motivation,
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