Motivation
Motivating students is one of the most difficult things teachers do. It's hard to make children want to learn, be responsible, and behave appropriately. Yet, we can't do these things, we forfeit our ability to teach.
Seven Basic Motivators
There are seven basic human motivators, representing what is important to people. They can be used with every student.
- Personal gain
This is the primary motivator. Personal gain is just that - personal. What motivates one person won't necessarily motivate another. It won't work for you if you say things like, "Do this for me," or, "I need you to do this." The question, "What's in it for me?" must be answered individually for each student. - Prestige
Learning is personal. Prestige helps students gain recognition, win approval, and feel important. If students don't get recognition for their efforts, are put down or made to feel insignificant, they will be less motivated to work hard and to learn. - Pleasure
This is one of the strongest motivators. How many things do you do or buy just because they give you pleasure? We all want to have fun. Often, we would rather relax or play than work. And if we think school and learning aren't supposed to be fun, then we're less motivated to work and learn. Any teacher who doesn't believe that gaining knowledge and learning can be fun is in the wrong profession. - Security
We need safety. So, if students are afraid about their grades or behavior, they're going to be less motivated. Face it: if you're worried you might lose your job, your fears are going to show in the quality of your work. - Convenience
The fast-food industry has made billions meeting the need for convenience. That's why we should make learning as easy and convenient as possible. Forget the notion that a long or hard assignment or "busywork" stimulate students. They don't. You don't have to make learning look harder than it is or should be. - Imitation
This refers to keeping up with peers, following the crowd, and imitating heroes. This is one of the reasons why teachers are so influential - as models of behavior and learning. If you are cold, sarcastic or intolerant, students may learn the wrong lessons. - The desire to avoid fear
If school is a fearful place for kids, they aren't going to learn - the environment has become destructive to the learning experience.
Principles of Learning and Motivation
These principles are absolutely imperative when planning instruction for learners who experience difficulty in academic and social skills. Any program of instruction that doesn't take these principles of learning into account is doomed to failure with kids who have difficulties learning.
Meaningfulness
A student is more likely to be motivated to learn things that are meaningful to him/her.
- What do you know for certain the learner has experienced? Analogies may help to see relationships.
- Relating to each student's interests and values is very helpful. One of the best ways to do this is to allow the student(s) more voice in decisions affecting them - decisions such as:
- What goals/objectives should be set?
- What steps will best achieve them?
- How fast should the material be learned?
- How accurately?
- How much practice time and how often?
A student is more likely to learn something new if he/she has all the prerequisites.
- Past learning is the most important factor in determining success or failure in learning.
- In order for the intended learning to occur, the student should understand the relationship between what he/she knows and what he/she needs to know. Just a simple "Here's what you can do now - here's what I would like you to be able to do . . ." is fine.
A student is more likely to acquire a new behavior if presented with a model performance to watch and imitate.
- In modeling, it is critical to label the important aspects of behavior as they are being demonstrated.
- Students should see the model getting rewards for a particular behavior.
- The model should be perceived as a person of high status, so as not to conflict with the student's values or beliefs.
- Modeling applies when teaching either technical or social skills. And it's not always necessary for the teacher to model behavior. A (high status) student could model desired behavior, receiving praise immediately.
A student is more likely to learn if the teacher's messages are open and clear.
- State objectives to each student. This tells the student what to pay attention to during the presentation.
- Point out relationships. Give cues and prompts.
- Avoid talking about something in its absence. Avoid abstractions. This is important in the elementary school, and for any secondary school learner who is still functioning in a concrete manner.
- Structure your presentation so the student can both see and hear.
- Ask questions to verify. This is an example of modeling. And if you ask questions and really listen to the answers, you are providing an appropriate model for them to follow.
- It may seem like you're telling the learner what you want him/her to learn. But isn't that what good teaching is all about? The learner should never have to figure out what the teacher wants - it should be apparent.
A student is more likely to learn if his or her attention is attracted by relatively novel presentations.
- Students appreciate any variation in the format, mode of presentation, or groupings. But use common sense - sometimes too much novelty will produce over-reaction and inappropriate behavior.
A student is more likely to learn if he/she takes an active part in the learning. The key is to have the learner involved.
Distributing practice
A student is more likely to learn if practice is done in short periods of time.
- We all can get tired and bored. No matter how exciting a task is, we need to get away from it, even if it's only to be more excited about starting up again.
A student is more likely to learn if instructional prompts are withdrawn gradually.
- During learning, many children need the help of a finger on a word in a sentence. Remove the prompt or helper when they become more confident in their ability.
A student is more likely to learn if the instructional conditions are pleasant.
Avoid unpleasant conditions and consequences
- Boredom
- Unpleasant physical conditions (too hot, cold, noisy, always in the same place, too many distractions, etc.).
- Frustration (unreasonable demands, being asked to pay attention when it's not possible to see and/or hear).
- Emotional hurt (making harsh comparisons, harmful jokes, scapegoating, etc.).
- Setting challenging tasks (learning theory suggests a learner is more likely to continue doing a task if there is at least a 50% chance of success).
- Giving feedback (everybody likes to know how they are doing - the more immediate the feedback, the better. And feedback should be based on what worked/didn't work and what can be done differently next time).
- Rewarding efforts (praise the student's attempts immediately and every time at first, and then gradually make the praise intermittent. Don't overdo it or it will seem phony).
Handling negative influence in the classroom
There are students who influence classmates negatively. They cause problems in class and attract followers. They laugh at what you say, ridicule what you do, degrade the importance of what you teach. They intimidate their followers, because there can only be one master as far as they are concerned.
The effect is often negative - for followers, teachers, and the rest of the class. But they don't always distract directly - they get their followers to do it for them. And it's usually the followers who wind up getting into trouble.
Avoid two mistakes:
- Don't reject the influencers.
- Don't work on the followers, hoping to defuse the power of the influencer. The influencers have already told classmates that you will try to break up their group. So, when you talk to the followers, you are just reinforcing what they have been told by the influencer. This weakens your influence.
Focus on changing the behavior of the influencer. Remember, they usually do things through others. In fact, they may not even be at the scene of the disturbance they have promoted. If they are, they act like innocent bystanders. That's because they are cowards - and therein lies the key to changing their behavior. They don't want exposure.
Tell them privately, forcefully, and in simple terms: "I know what you're doing and will not allow it." Or, you can go in the opposite direction and offer them something bigger and better - meaningful responsibility with high visibility.
When you develop a relationship with influencers, talk about leadership. You'll find them interested - immediately. They need challenge, and in time, you'll find them to be excellent leaders.
But be careful not to disparage their followers. Your next task is to take care of the abandoned followers. They will feel abandoned, helpless and lost without their leader. That's why other staff must work with the followers while you work with the influencer. If not, the followers will drift aimlessly or seek other influencers.
Followers will almost always accept the friendship of a teacher after their abandonment. It just can't be you . . . you've become a threat because you've taken away their leader. When colleagues help with followers, everybody wins with both types of students. And when it's all over, both the influencers and the followers will be headed down a better road.
Students who fail
It's not always easy to pick out the students who fail . Too often, they slip up on you before you know what's happened. They get so far behind that they can't catch up.
Three categories of students who fail:
- Students with ability
Their problems often begin because they fight authority. Remember: people don't fight friends as readily as they fight enemies. Students are no exception. These students say to themselves, "If adults don't care about me, why should I stick to their rules - which govern my life?" - Students who are unmotivated
They may have ability, but they just aren't interested. Instead of reacting emotionally to their disinterest, approach them as though they just haven't fond themselves yet.
Most kids have some interests which give them some direction. These kids don't. As a result, they see no value in school for themselves. And they'll search out disinterested, unmotivated peers to hang around with. - Students with limited ability
Their ability to keep up with the rest of the class is limited. Lesson plans and standards should be flexible in order to motivate and help them. They need more time and guidance from you. Without both, they may not survive school.
- Low academic aptitude or reading ability.
- Record of misbehavior.
- Moved from school to school or city to city.
- Friends are out of school.
- Associate with older children.
- Miss school frequently.
- Not interested in extra-class activities and seldom participate in other programmes like music, athletics, student government.
- Often come from unstable homes.
Most failing students have things in common which tell you that establishing a relationship is the first step in a turnaround. The clue is that these students have few, if any, meaningful relationships with adults. They are alone. They've given up. This is a major part of their problem. They're starved for adult acceptance. They need some attention from an adult.
Once you've established a relationship, you can begin educating. You can get them involved whenever possible. You may very well be the one adult in their lives who cares enough to try to make a difference.
Students who misbehave
Discipline problems reduce your effectiveness. They can cause you to give up and quit trying with some kids. They can cause you to make rules for the majority in order to control the minority. They can cause you to become mean, sarcastic and hateful toward some students.
All behavior has a purpose. The good student is good for a reason; likewise, the bad student is bad for a reason. So you can't paint all discipline problems with the same brush. The bully doesn't have the same motivations for misbehavior as the class clown. The latecomer is different from the student who talks back. The defiant student may have a different motivation from the student who talks all the time.
Goals of misbehavior:
It would be untrue to say there are only four sources of misbehavior. But there are four primary needs that cause misbehavior: attention; power; revenge; self-confidence. Let's look at them.
- Need for attention
For these students, misbehavior is the only source of attention they have. These are the students who speak without permission, come late to class, make strange noises, act like the class clown. They misbehave because it gets them attention. - Need for power
These students usually feel defeated if they do as they are told. We know these students as the total independents, the defiant ones, the rule-breakers, and the bullies. They really believe that more power is the answer to all their problems. With more power, nobody can tell them to do anything; they would be doing the telling. - Need for revenge
Some students find their places by being hated. Failure has made them give up trying to get attention or power. They find personal satisfaction in being mean, vicious, violent. The purpose of the misbehavior is revenge against everyone. They are the students who write on desks, beat up others, threaten young students, write on bathroom walls. They will seek revenge against teachers and classmates any way they can. - Need for self-confidence
These students expect failure. They frustrate teachers because while they are often capable of handling their studies successfully, they cop out instead. They use inability or assumed disability to escape participation. When they are supposed to be studying, they play and talk to others. Then, they offer the excuse, "I couldn't do it."
How to help a suicidal student
(Click here to take you to "How to help a suicidal student")
