How I Motivate My Students After 7 Years of Teaching

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Very early on in my teaching career, I was taught that the most important aspect of teaching was motivation. The problem with this is not the theories nor the different concepts, but how do we, as educators motivate our students to learn. How do we push them to do better in an increasingly academically demanding world.

The easiest way to that is to make learning fun. That is indeed the best way, but not always possible. There are times where a teacher would be required to choose between being fun and to prepare the students for their exams. While I love a fun class, I feel it is also my duty to push my students to do their best and to do anything and everything to their fullest potential.

To find out how to motivate my students better, I did a study to find out what exactly stops the students from doing well in the classroom. The results were not surprising but it should be noted that it is only representative of either upper secondary or university students. It is entirely different in the context of younger children.

The Stumbling Block

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The first thing that I found out from my data was something called the stumbling block. Most of the students identified something that is holding them back. For example, a lot of my university students found it difficult to do their assignments due to the lack of time. The lack of time however is not their stumbling block. Upon further probing, it turns out that they would play computer games with their friends until the 3 am in the morning. This causes them to have very little time for anything else and upon a few tweaks to their time management, they were able to accomplish much more.

Motivating students while extremely important does require first identifying what is holding them back. Once the stumbling block is identified, it gets easier to help the student do better. While this may be difficult initially, it removes a large obstacle from the student's life. The next step would be to motivate the students to achieve further and higher since that one thing holding them back has been removed.

However, there are some who feel that it is just pointless to study. They feel that they can achieve their dreams without education. This is true in certain circumstances, especially if the student has an extensive plan for a startup or project. I would definitely encourage the students to pursue their dream.

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However, there are those who think that a million dollars would drop at their feet without them having to lift a finger. This however, would lead me to point out something else to help them push themselves harder.

The Future

When one is going through a difficult time, be it enduring the arduous task of completing countless assignments or studying for a major exam, I would normally help motivate them by switching their focus from the current difficult task to a better future.

I once had a student who absolutely hated the subject I teach. The only reason that student stayed was because of my awesome personality. Ok, she did not have a choice, it was a mandatory class, you got me. She was a difficult student and no matter how I tried, she would not do any of the tasks given. So I sat down and spoke to her about the future that awaited her if she did not do well. She was receptive, not because I was convincing but because she knew of the difficulties that she would face if she did not perform. She also knew that to pursue her dream, it was essential that she did well academically, no matter how much she disliked it.

The Journey

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I normally am given a slot to speak to students under my care every Monday. After a long weekend of fun, the students will normally be tired and unhappy with coming back to classes. I would share with them the best time of my life and the journey that led me to who I am.

I would share of the toughest times. I would share of how it was not easy in my studies nor my career. However, each hardship, each lesson learnt has made me wiser and better at what I do. Whatever happens, I would tell them to embrace the lessons learnt and do their best. It is better to do your best and look back without regrets instead of not giving your all.

That has been the the ways in which I motivate my students. I hope this helps you in your teaching and mentoring of the next generation. Steem on!

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