Mon, 27 Apr 2020

Easy Ways to Keep Students Motivated

Motivating students starts with the teacher. A teacher who enters the classroom with an unkempt and indifferent appearance would less likely to motivated students. Teachers are the best role model of students and must look presentable in front of their students. But do not overdress or overdress may look unapproachable.

This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Lara K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.

Things that matter

Not only the appearance matters but also the teachers' passion and knowledge too. Teachers must keep themselves updated and continue to obtain new skills and knowledge. If the teacher knows a lot about the material he/she is teaching, the students get more excited and engaged to listen to and respect the process of learning. Our lessons vary in difficulty and it's up to us on how we'll introduce and teach it to them. If it is too easy, we should put a challenge to it. Some students are visual learners so PowerPoint presentations, flashcards, and/or visual aids can make them motivated to learn. Letting students play games that are related to the lesson is also very effective in motivating our students. Studying can sometimes be repetitive and boring that's why playing games make it more fun and exciting for everyone. We can even consider giving them short breaks after long hours of studying. It is also a good idea to assign pair work or group activity because it provides students to share their own experience and knowledge to their peers which may offer them self-responsibility and accomplishment.

Also Read: Two Main Ways of Teaching Vocabulary to English Language Learners

Activities for the Classroom

Examples of these activities are role-playing, charades, Pictionary, and many more. During this process, shy students can be reached out by the teachers and their classmates. If an individual, pair, or group is successful in their task, communicating their recent accomplishment will make them feel fulfilled and may do better next time. Aside from verbal praises, granting them prizes or small tokens will keep them competitive. In some cases we may also consider the surrounding of the classroom, students tend to lose focus in a room which is hot, cluttered, and noisy. We must do the extra mile and be aware of it. Also, teachers must provide a supportive environment instead of criticizing students' mistakes and failures. If a student failed an activity or test, try to know what went wrong along the learning/examination process. Some student is also interested to know how they will improve their class performance that is why proper feedback is necessary. When they feel that they are being guided in the right track, they will definitely feel motivated. Get to know the strengths and weaknesses of what your students have. And by that, you will realize what teaching approach you can give them. Remember that there are a number of students who will take time to feel comfortable in-class activities. Teachers should also be open to their students' suggestions and opinions. By doing this, teachers can gain their trust and interest.

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These ideas and techniques I shared were acquired based on my own experiences as a teacher and a student. It had worked for me but remember students vary, so I hope my fellow teachers will find the correct approach that will work for them.

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