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Motivation in the classroomIn order to have an effective classroom it is the teacher?s responsibility to initiate and maintain motivation. Motivating a student will drive them to reach their goal which, in this case, is to learn English. Learning a new language can be very difficult and a teacher should be cognizant of that fact. This is all the more reason to motivate the students and support them through this hard, and at times, gruelling, process. A teacher can motivate the class through their own enthusiasm, through encouraging the students as well as providing them with rewards and incentives. This paper will demonstrate ways that a teacher can instil motivation in the classroom and its effects. It is amazing how students are able to pick up the thoughts and emotions of a teacher. If a teacher is bored then the class is more likely to be bored as well. If a teacher is excited then the class is more likely to be excited. A teacher should emanate the type of atmosphere that they want in the classroom. This would infer that a motivated classroom would need a motivated teacher. They must exude enthusiasm within the classroom. In turn, the students will pick this up and will become enthusiastic themselves. This can make the classroom more enjoyable for the students. It is also important to make the classroom fun by always changing up the lessons plans rather than continuously reading from a textbook. This will create a mundane classroom and will leave the students discouraged. Providing support and encouragement for the students can give them encouragement. It can be difficult for the students to keep a high morale and the teacher should be there for support when needed. If they are having trouble with a particular task, give them some extra attention or allow them some time outside of class. Explain to them clearly. Once they are able to understand, they will feel encouraged and be thankful for the support. It is also sometimes asking some easier questions that they will know the answer to in order to boost their morale. After they have gained more confidence they will have enough motivation to continue learning. It is a long process so it is inevitable to have many ups and downs. It is for this reason that the teacher should provide support and encouragement in the classroom. Positive reinforcement is always appreciated by the students. Giving rewards and incentives can be a great way a teacher to motivate their students. It is easy for a student, or even a teacher, to forget the big goal of the students to learn English. It can be overwhelming. It is for this reason that benchmarks must be set. Small goals set for both the students and for the teacher. This can not only assess what level particular students are on but can also work as positive reinforcement. Incentives can be given for the completion of doing something well. Whether it is a bonus point or mark on a test to a small treat or candy is up to the type of class they are teaching. The incentive should just act as a small supplementary reward for them to strive towards. It can be a key driving factor for some students depending on what the reward or incentive is. It allows for the teacher to get creative on what kind of rewards or incentives they want to set up. Maintaining discipline can also be beneficial to maintaining discipline within the classroom. A motivated class is less likely to act out in class. When there are goals to be worked towards, whether it is the large goal of learning the language or the small goal of completing a particular project, the class will be better disciplined if they are motivated. It is important for the teacher to be clear about their instructions and the goals so that they know what to do and are not led off path or easily distracted. Keeping the class focused and entertained will lead to a motivated and well-disciplined classroom. The bottom line is supporting their students? goal of learning English. In doing so, the teacher should expect the best effort and grades from their students. Of course, a lot of the motivation must come from within a student but they are always interacting with their environment so it is important to create and maintain a motivated environment for the students to thrive in.
