Even the best learning materials in the world won’t make you excited about school. You won’t have a desire of working hard if you don’t have any motivation. Inspiration, whether internal or external will help boost your studies. It’s a significant determinant of your success throughout your school life, and your teachers can play a crucial role in motivating you. But again, you can’t rely only on them. Some very educated and kind teachers don’t have the skills needed to inspire kids. Moreover, they may not know what motivates each student.
It’s natural to wonder how a teacher can spur scholars to work hard when the motivation for each of them is different. Well, below are 21 methods that can help encourage them.
- Give Students a Sense of Control
A teacher’s guidance is essential when it comes to doing studies. However, enabling students to decide on their own and be under control over some classroom activities is vital. The teacher can allow them choose the type of assignments to do. They will feel trusted and learn how to become responsible. As a result, you will raise their motivation. Moreover, they will be inspired to study hard and prove you that they are mature enough to take responsibility.
- Define the objectives
Without clearly defined goals, students cannot be motivated to finishing their home or class work. After all, they have nothing to lose or gain at the end of it. Scholars will always want goals to achieve in every activity to get propelled. Set these objectives clearly. Such a strategy will eliminate confusion and make them understand what goals to achieve by the end of the year.
- Create a Threat-Free Environment
Student’s motivation thrives well in a safe and supportive environment. A teacher should keep affirming them that they do not doubt their ability to achieve the set goals.
- Change Your Scenery
A change of environment can greatly trigger other changes. For example, if last year a student underperformed in a particular subject, it’s likely that they will feel more motivated doing the same subject in a different environment. Allow them to study in a library on their own, or you can arrange with another teacher to interchange classrooms. Besides, invite guest speakers to teach them specific topics. In addition, if you teach English online to Chinese students, you can consider using videos instead of the Skype conversations they are used to.
- Offer Varied Experiences
As mentioned above, scholars are motivated differently. Some like reading on their own, others work best in groups and others will understand excellently as the professor teaches in class. If you want to spur all students equally, then mix up the lessons. For example, during one lesson let students form discussion groups and tackle various topics, and next time allow them to study on their own. This way, all students will become motivated equally.
- Use Positive Competition
Contesting in class work is sometimes healthy and motivating, but not always. Encourage students to adopt a spirit of healthy competition, maybe through team games outside the classroom. Find out inspirational things that will drive them to study hard. For example, they can form baseball teams that compete with each other. Teach them to hug their opponents after a game, and this spirit will automatically be transferred to classroom competition.
- Offer Rewards
Everybody loves getting a reward after hard work. Rewarding those who excel well in assignments can greatly motivate students to work hard. Things such as some cookies, shopping vouchers or a blazer written “excellent performer,” can motivate others to work hard as well. However, different personalities have different preferences, so consider each student’s personality to match it with the reward.
- Give Students Responsibility
Assigning classroom work to students can significantly create a community and a sense of responsibility. They will then view assignments as a responsibility instead of a burden and will work towards meeting expectations. The students will create a sense of importance and value to one another by helping each other.
- Allow Students to Work Together
Though not all students will appreciate working in groups, at least a half of the class will enjoy solving problems with peers. This social interaction will help them see each other as a family and therefore become motivated to help one another in attaining their goals.
- Give Praise When Earned
Praise can greatly encourage students to work better. We all yearn for approval as well as recognition, and young scholars are not an exception. You can choose to reward students who outperform others publicly and praise them for their hard work.
- Encourage Self-reflection
Almost all scholars desire to succeed. However, they need guidance on how to get to that point. Teachers need to ask them to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. Taking such critiques of themselves will help them determine to work hard.
- Be Excited
Share your passion and excitement of teaching with the learners. For example, if you’re enthusiastic about the way you teach account, share this with them. When they get to know that it is your pleasure to teach them, they’ll know they are not a burden to you but your joy and will be motivated to make you even much happier by working hard.
- Know Your Students
Knowing your scholars by their names is not enough. You need to know each one’s personality, strengths, and weaknesses. That way you will know how to encourage them genuinely and show them that you have their interest at heart. That’s enough to make them feel appreciated and inspired to work harder to earn positive feedback from you.
- Harness Your Students Interests
Another advantage of knowing your scholars is relating learning material to those items they are interested in and those they have had an experience with. Such things make learning more relatable and enjoyable, thus keeping them more encouraged to study hard. However, some learners will require more attention and hours to improve their academic performance. Perhaps you can refer them to professional custom writing services where they will receive personalized learning.
- Help Students Find Intrinsic Motivation
It’s great to try and inspire scholars, but self-motivation is stronger than any other. Help them realize the need to work hard as well as to complete assignments.
- Manage Students’ Anxiety
Some learners have a strong desire to pass exams to the extent that the thought of failing depress them greatly. You should remove such anxiety by letting them understand that failing is normal and doesn’t define their ability.
17 Make Goals High but Attainable
Ensure that the goals set by each student are slightly higher than their ability. For example, if a scholar sets to get 60 marks in mathematics, push it to 70 marks. He will have to work extra hard to attain the grades.
- Give Feedback and Offer Chances to Improve
Some students will work hard, but their efforts may not bear fruits. However, it is essential to give them an opportunity to improve. The feeling that you understand them and are ready to walk at their pace may be enough to motivate them.
- Track Progress
Students may not see the need to keep records of their progress, but it’s important that you do it for them. Pull out such records after some time and discuss with each one of them to show them how far they have come and how possible it is to reach their goals. Such information can greatly motivate them.
- Make things fun
Immersing in books and lectures all day for a whole week can be very boring for students. Integrate learning with some fun activities to make it more interesting.
- Provide Opportunity for Success
Students’ understanding and ability differ. Plan to award them according to the improvement made within a particular time rather than recognizing the top winners only. That way everyone will feel valued.
With all the above ideas, you now are equipped enough to help scholars work hard without pressuring them. Students require support and encouragement from their teachers. They also need people to believe in their ability and give them a chance to exercise some responsibilities. Encouraging them to set goals and plan how to achieve them is paramount.
Bio for Crystal Roman:
Crystal Roman is an author, a co-author and an editor. His degree in psychology helps him to understand the behavior of human beings. He has taught English in various schools and has been a motivational speaker in many colleges. His excellent mastery of language and its use is a rock on his writing career.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.
