Discouragement is one of the surest signs of a student who is unable to connect their work to a positive outcome. The frustration from learning new concepts that can't seem to make sense can lead to frustration and hostility in students, which is often shown through disruptive behavior. While dealing with the disruptive behavior is one way teacher's choose to "fix" a problem, it doesn't get to the root of the actions: a feeling of failure when a students isn't able to understand.
In cases like this, my job is to re-establish the link between the student’s expectations and positive outcomes by creating learning situations where they can experience success. Helping students get the right answers is not enough; I believe students need to understand why an answer is correct (or incorrect) and what they can do to improve the skill further. By asking questions such as: ”What did you do to get that answer?”, “How did you know the answer was correct?”, and “Would this work for the following problem as well?”, I can actively involve the students in their cognitive learning process, and help them develop strategies they can transfer to other lessons.
Constant feedback and supportive comments are integral in developing self-motivated learners. Pointing out my students' strengths and focusing on what my students have already mastered as a foundation for new skills will help them to refine their strategies and use them in new ways.
I am aware that not all students are easily motivated, so it my responsibility to accommodate those students who are less likely to respond to my encouragement. While the classroom climate, and the way I interact with my students, definitely influences their motivation, I will also have to make tasks meaningful to my students. I can do this by incorporating a variety of interesting topics to my curriculum, that my students find relevant. This is where knowing my students comes in handy. I believe it is my responsibility as a teacher to find a way to motivate all of my students, and if that means I need to differentiate instruction for most of the class, then I will.
Motivating the students to learn can be as simple as creating a strong opening to my lesson. Asking students to write a sentence is dull instruction, and won't engage the students. Telling the students that I am going to use two vocabulary words to write a rich sentence about my superhero power is already more engaging and exciting to the students.
As Burden says, "there are four dimensions of motivation: interest, relevance, expectancy, and satisfaction" (p. 125). It will be nearly impossible to motivate my students if I don't first pique their interest. And even more, if my students don't see me getting excited about the lesson they are about to have, they won't be excited about it either.
By referencing superhero powers, in conjunction with vocabulary words, I am able to make the lesson relevant to my students, while getting them excited about the lesson. If I have a class that isn't interested in superhero powers, I can use the information I've gathered to refer to something that does hold their interest: activities at a zoo or circus, what they are doing over a long weekend, their best friends, their pets, siblings or parents. Just a little bit of digging on my part can open up a broad array of potential topics for lessons.
Another method for self-motivation I will use is to let the students know the intended outcome of the lesson or lessons. If I plan on having all of my students read a chapter book by the end of the week, I’ll let them know it! My confidence in them will help bolster their own self-confidence.
I will also make sure to vary my teaching strategies, so that my lessons appeal to all learning styles. I want to appeal to my entire class, not just the students whose learning style is similar to my own. I can stage debates for verbal learners, use artwork and manipulatives for visual/spatial learners, use role playing for kinesthetic learners and have the class create songs and poems and chants for musical/rhythmic learners. There are so many options for teaching, and while the content of the curriculum might be set in stone, usually the teaching methods are far more flexible. I know that this takes a great deal of time and energy, but I feel that it will be worth it, if a struggling child who feels he is a hopeless case discovers that he is, in fact, pretty darn smart.
There are so many ways to create self-motivation in the classroom. By establishing doubt, I can build intrigue in my students, and a desire to prove me right or wrong. Varying the level of difficulty in a lesson will help the struggling students feel successful when they know the answers. I can mix up students during group work, so that they have the opportunity to work with classmates with different strengths, ideas and views. Give the students control of a lesson, and pick out what they think the class should learn. Creating self-motivation in the classroom - helping students want to learn - is something that any teacher can do if he or she makes the effort.
Finally, I believe that it is important for my students to know that I want them to succeed. I need to create lessons that "promote student success" by matching the motivational needs of my students, and communicating what I expect of my class. I will be supportive of my students, and listen to their frustrations, taking the time to work through them.
Everyone who enters my classroom has the opportunity to thrive. It is my job to make them want to.
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