Reasons and Strategies of Motivation in Class
Before we think about motivation, we have to look at the reason and motives of "why" and "how" to motivate students. It is one of the most important things to consider when teaching students who are about to learn something new for the first time. There is an infinite number of ways to motivate students, whether it is to give them rewards or to motivate them through praising.
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Markus J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Participation and Achievement
A student should be motivated to participate in a lesson, be motivated to gain a new understanding and knowledge through the information that is given by the teacher. Motivation plays a key role in a student's success and should drive them to achieve their goals. As a teacher, it is one of the most important tasks to have during any lesson, to help motivate a student and ensure that they reach their full potential.
If a student is motivated during a lesson, it makes the lesson and learning experience more enjoyable for them, thus giving a positive and more direct behavior over a longer period, and the students will pay more attention to the teacher and the lesson.
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What is Motivation
When looking at motivation, we have to consider that motivation is not just a term to be thrown into a topic without understanding it a bit deeper. There are two different types of motivation, intrinsic motivation, and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is seen as in the internal form of motivation, where the student strives for a personal goal or accomplishment. Extrinsic motivation is more of an external form of motivation, for example, if the teacher gives the students a task that should be completed at a specific time, the students should implement this motivation form to complete the task before that time runs out.
Motivation does not only come from the student's reasons to be motivated, but the teacher also plays a major role in motivating students in the classroom as we all know. If the teacher's behavior is motivated during the lesson, the students will pick up on that vibe and they will be more motivated themselves. This is why the teacher should appear friendly, smiling, and happy. If the teacher comes forth as grumpy, angry or irritated, the students will start to feel demotivated to participate in the lesson and this will reflect on their whole outlook on future lessons.
Also Read: What is the Central European Teaching Program CETP for teaching English in Hungary?
Flexibility of a Lesson
Another way to keep your students motivated in the classroom is to change things up during lessons, do not do the same activities and tasks over and over again, due to the reason that the lessons will become predictable and boring. Try to do a role-playing exercise once in a while during a lesson, and in another lesson try to implement a type of board game effect, or stick to the basics of lessons and do group work or pair work with the students, this is a great way to not just motivate the students themselves but to help the students to motivate each other.
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In conclusion, the best way to keep the attention of a student during a lesson is to be a motivated teacher and always try to motivate your students.
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