Sometimes teachers face difficulty motivating their students. Especially, after the pandemic, the situation has gone worse. Implement these 4 strategies to increase the enthusiasm of the learners.
Educators put in lots of hard work and spend a hefty amount to become experts in their subject. They go through teaching training to provide effective learning experiences to students. Not only that teachers develop curriculum maps and calendars to maintain a good education standard.
But if the learners don’t feel motivated enough, a perfect lesson plan will not work. It can also negatively affect the teachers will power.
Famous American author Daniel H. Pink mentioned in his book “ Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” that grades, standardized tests, and financial rewards are not enough for boosting students’ determination levels.
According to research, 40% of American students feel demotivated in the classroom. Various reasons like assessment structure, Covid, negative school environment, bitter relationships with peers, family issues, financial instability, teaching methods, teachers’ behavior, and bad curriculum are responsible for this. The next question becomes what can educators do to encourage their students to be motivated.
There are many evidence-based strategies that teachers can follow to encourage their students.
4 Strategies to improve students’ motivation in the classroom
1. Develop a strong bond with your students
Maintain a healthy relationship with your students to improve their motivation level.
Research Rober J Marzano says, “Positive relationships between teachers and students are among the most commonly cited variables associated with effective instruction. If the relationship is strong, instructional strategies seem more effective.”
You can apply some techniques to understand the learners deeply.
Ask them to share one good piece of news each week. It will give you an insight into what they value most You can also share one of your updates so that students feel comfortable.
Use online tools to create profiles of students. There are various applications available that will give you information about students’ skills and interests based on quizzes. Utilize them while assigning projects.
Additionally, show interest in their ideas. If someone in the class is not doing well or behaving strangely, communicate with them. Kindness will form an optimistic environment in the classroom.
Further, you can question what they want in their teacher. Try to align your goals with their expectations to get a better result.
2. Praise their efforts and offer feedback
The most powerful elements of motivation are praise and constructive feedback. Praise nurtures students’ self-esteem and helps them to understand when they should feel proud. Make sure you are admiring their efforts, not their ability.
For example, instead of saying “you are excellent at math”, you can tell them “I like the way you have solved the fraction question.” Be specific. Thus they will know where they did well and will put more effort to better themselves.
Ensure that you are providing constructive feedback. If you are giving someone B in an essay, explain the reason behind it. Online instruments like Kahoot, google docs are excellent for this purpose.
3. Allot time for SEL activities
SEL aka Social-Emotional activities teaches students to recognize their emotions and what to do when these emotions become concerning. It instantly alerts learners whenever they get demotivated. Think of it like a self-alarm system.
There are various SEL activities available. But the most efficient one is Game-Based learning. The engaging nature and easy-to-follow attitude of games make them more compelling.
Keeping this in mind, we built Tomoclub. We assist students to strengthen their emotional intelligence. Each of our games focuses on building futuristic skills like leadership, resilience, communication, etc.
You can mail us at info@tomoclub.org for a 1:1 meeting or take part in our play & learn event to see how games can foster life skills. Every session is conducted under experienced moderators. We also provide feedback and resources so parents can assist their kids.
4. Create a community in the classroom
Students, who feel motivated, will take risks and struggle. For this, you need to have positive surroundings. To form such an environment, educators can host collaborative group work.
Create different groups and give one question to each group. Tell them to find the solution together. Thus everyone will be motivated to take part in the process and work together.
This will strengthen their relationships. Don’t forget to showcase every group’s work and each participant’s contribution. The strong sense of membership will inspire them to adopt the value endorsed by the teacher.
In the end, understand what the student wants to be in the future and show them how different subjects can help them to achieve their goals. Share this information with the guardian and encourage them to assist in their children’s dreams.
