“Today is your opportunity to create the tomorrow that you want.”
Though we are all aware that we need to push ourselves to do better and we should be focused, more often than not, we are distracted and lose concentration. The same applies to students and children. The times have changed and there are countless distractions. The fear of tomorrow, stress, anxiety, mobile phones, and social media everything can act as a distraction or disturbance. With exams and final assessments just around the corner, how can teachers help and motivate students?
Here are six foolproof ways to motivate students and keep them focussed so that they face the exams fearlessly.
How to Motivate Students?
Students need to be motivated and encouraged to do better. It is easy to criticize them and put them down. Studies prove that being too critical can have the opposite effect of what you intend and all teachers want their students to perform well. Try the below-mentioned ways to motivate students.
- Include Activities
More often than not, classes can get redundant and drab. This is not because of the teacher, it is just human nature and sometimes, the concepts can get a little too boring. This can kill the motivation and the students might lose interest to study. Teachers can incorporate activities in the classroom to keep the students engaged. Better engagement will result in better motivation. Parallelly, teachers can involve activities that can improve concentration and attention. This will be helpful in the longrun. Including activities in the classroom will also help to increase the rapport between the teacher and students.
- Motivational Quotes
This might seem silly. However, the impact that motivational quotes can create on your students cannot be sidelined. This does not mean that you have to give an “I have a dream” speech. It just means that you should introduce them to motivational stories and sayings every once in a while so that they learn that they are not in this alone. Motivational quotes will make your students understand that there are quite a lot of people just like them and this sense of belonging in itself is a motivating factor. Introducee stories where people have achieved greater heights from nothing and these are sure to leave an impact.
- Talk
One of the most overlooked things is communication. Just talk to your students and understand what is holding them back. It might be fear or stress. Once you understand the root cause of the problem, it is easier to solve it. Otherwise, you are just beating around the bush. Conduct regular one-to-one sessions with your students and establish a rapport. This will make them comfortable enough to tell you their issues and as a teacher, you can help them within your abilities or at least guide them to the right person.
- Awards and Recognitions
Acknowledgment is a great way to motivate students and to keep them motivated. Appreciate their efforts and reward your students accordingly. It is also important to note that while you appreciate one student, another should not feel unheard or underappreciated. Rewards need not always be associated with achievements, it can also be given for good work and when you notice that someone is putting in their best. Failures also must be celebrated.
- Create opportunities
You cannot expect students to shine when you don’t give students the opportunity to do so. Each student is different and their capabilities are different. Education is not just about academic performance. When students are given opportunities to project their talent, it is sure to reflect in their academics as well. When students are heard and appreciated, they perform better and this acts as a motivation for them. Virtual classrooms can be made into a platform for students to exhibit their talent.
- Innovative Approaches
Incorporating different types of teaching methods and strategies in the classroom will motivate students. These approaches need not be centered around teaching. Teachers can try innovative communication strategies, team building methods and likewise that will help to build a strong foundation and the rest can be built later. Children often get demotivated when they feel they are not worthy, they are not heard, and likewise. Innovative approaches will help to nib this issue at the bud.
Conclusion
Teachers should keep in mind to push intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is the motivation that students feel from inside themselves without any external factor. Once teachers succeed in tapping the intrinsic motivation of their students, the rest is easy. The above-mentioned ways are sure to help motivate students. At the end of the day, it is important to note that education is not limited to the walls of a classroom or a textbook. The essence of education is in understanding the world around us and being able to face situations with confidence and zeal.
