It starts with you, the teacher: Tips for motivating students.

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There are many things associated with a teacher's profession. There's the apple, the blackboard and chalk and in some regions like mine, there is the cane. Which is an equivalent of a Jedi master's Lightsaber. However, after our very own order 66, our Lightsabers have been purged.

I am getting carried away, coming back to the topic, while all the items above are associated with teachers, the single greatest tool in a teacher's tool box is the skill to motivate others. It is that skill in which a teacher can make a class excited over something as simple as a plant, or bring a hyperactive class under control. It is with that same skill that allows the teacher to fight a battle where the odds are forever against him or her. That is the battle of winning the hearts and minds of the students.

So how can a teacher motivate students to be the best they can be? I have two education psychology books and several long articles to address that question. I could go on and list the pros and cons of each different method and technique. I could conduct long and complex studies to answer that question. However, I think the answer is not as complex. It is rather simple but deceptively difficult to carry out.

The answer to being able to motivate the students to be the best they can be starts from you, the teacher.

Patience and understanding

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Students are a rather critical bunch. Depending on the age group, it could be the parents who are the critical ones instead. One of the hardest group of students to motivate are teenagers. Depending on who they follow on Instagram or Facebook, they have a very different outlook on life. None of which prioritizes the need to work hard. Do note that there are exceptions and that I am fine with everyone having their opinion. The challenge lies in convincing them that studying and working hard are pathways to success, instead of just dreaming about it.

Compared to the rich kids and other influencers they find on social media, studying is extremely boring. As a teacher, the responsibility falls on us not to motivate them negatively. Negative motivation can come in many forms, there is subtle shaming and at times nagging. However, to be positive on this would be to first understand their point of view no matter what it may be, respect it and share from your own life.

I remember meeting a student who was not able to dance, who aimed to be a professional dancer just to 'be cool'. I saw that he had enormous potential in science and encouraged him to do that. I told him that he could pursue dance while studying and that it need not be a full time profession. He still dances, but he is studying medicine and doing rather well. The key in this situation was to be patient and understanding. To be very honest, I wanted to laugh at his idea, but reminded myself to be respectful and understanding.

Role model

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However, there are times where the students are not interested to hear your opinion. They may not come to seek for advice and may maintain a distance. While it can be hard to directly motivate them in such a situation, I try to do this by modelling the best behavior I can. In this case, I found being fair to be a great motivator in the classroom. This happened once when I found out that one of my student was an 'untouchable'. Not of the undesirable kind, but he was the star player on a sports team and was on first name basis with many of the faculty staff and even my superior.

I was told to 'be nice' to him and to 'avoid getting into trouble'. I am a stubborn person, so I did not respond very well to such advice. I told the class that everyone would be treated fairly no matter their race or background. They nodded but they needed proof that I was as good as my word. The following day, the untouchable student came in an hour late to my class. He claimed that I should let it slide and that I should be cool with it. I glanced at the class, most of them knew that I would let him go, but I did not. He was suspended for a week.

After that incident, the students started to respect me and were more enthusiastic in the class. They were motivated that such unfairness had ended. They were motivated that their achievement would be based on merit and not background. As for me, well, I followed procedure and so no one came threatening to fire me. That same student was never late after that.

The challenge in this case is standing up for what you think is right. That same attitude will motivate students to do their best because being fair is similar to telling them that you care for who they are as a person.

Be their cheerleader and coach

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We all have that one student who has made life difficult for us, be it the most disruptive student or that one student that has caused as much inconvenience. No matter who they are or how difficult they may be, be their cheerleader in their studies and motivate them to do their best. No matter how bad they do, focus on the positive, telling them that whatever small improvement that they have made, is an improvement. That focus on the positive would boost their self-efficacy and would give them hope. That hope will then be translated into effort and later down the road, success.

Of course, some may not respond to cheering and thus, some coaching is needed. Some students have the potential but refuse to put any effort. They need to be driven and to be told that they can do better. Sometimes, they need to see the consequences of their lack of effort.

The teacher's challenge is to identify which he or she should be. Too much coaching may cause the child to be demotivated. Too much cheering may give the child an unrealistic sense of confidence. Such challenge can only be overcome through experience, observation and practice.

The patience, understanding, role modelling, cheer-leading and coaching may seem like things that are obvious, but they will change a student's heart, drive them towards a goal and who knows, may impact a generation.

It all starts with you, the teacher.

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