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The motivation of students in some sense is one of the most important aspects of someone that wants to learn English or any subject. And the lack of that motivation can cause a real issue in the absorption of the lesson. In a classroom there is a mix of all different types of personalities and backgrounds. So of course there will be a mixed bag of people, some want to learn and some not so much. Keeping the students motivated it is part of the teacher’s duty to spark interest in the minds of the students. This can be achieved using different strategies, they are simple but effective. Starting with what I would consider the most effective strategy the teacher can employ is, having a positive attitude. Simply put, a teacher that shows up everyday, on time, with a smile on their face will create a positive learning atmosphere. Maybe there is a student who had a bad experience with teachers before and all that student needs is a push in the right direction to get their interest sparked. Keeping the student’s motivation high can be accomplished by making the lessons fun. Using games, role plays, mimes. A good teacher won’t be afraid to make fun of his or herself and use humor in the classroom to lighten the mood. That way students can feel comfortable being themselves and won’t be afraid to answer a question because they might answer it wrong. A simple but effective method is to praise students often and reinforce classroom participation. Being an encouraging teacher and showing the students that the attempt to answer a question is just as important is key. Because this will instill a positive attitude in the students towards the teacher. Because they know that when they try to answer a question and get it right they will be praised with a “good job” or “good answer”. But even if they answer the question wrong they can expect to hear a positive reply from the teacher. It is important to never make the student feel uncomfortable for trying. Pairwork is a good way to start, take a weaker student and pair with a stronger student. Maybe the weaker student doesn’t have a good understanding of English and doesn’t want to participate in order to not embarrass themselves. Putting the student in a team with a student that has a stronger understanding of English is a good way to take some pressure off of the weaker student. Therefore allowing the student to feel like they are not in the spotlight and will not embarrass themselves. Getting creative in the classroom is a great way to motivate students. Avoid being monotonous and predictable. Instead try teaching the lesson with games and visual aids. Involve the students as a group, maybe rearrange the chairs in a circle and have them introduce themselves on the first day. An introduction style game can be played, where each student has to say something about themselves that the other students may not know. Or you can set up a chain sentence game, where a student says something about a topic and the next student has to add on, and so forth. In addition competitive games can be played like word scramble or flash cards, and the team with the most points gets a prize. Motivation of the students depends on the teacher and the environment created. It's up to the teacher to see what the level of motivation is and address it accordingly. Furthermore it is the duty of the teacher to promote a positive, non-judgemental environment for all students to participate actively. So every student gets the most out of their time spent in the classroom.
