Teach English in Langxia Zhen - Shanghai Shi

Motivation in the Classroom" There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks." This is a famous quote said by a woman with the name of Johann Gottfried Von Herder. The fuel that this women is referring to can also be called motivation. Anyone who has every accomplished anything can tell you the importance of motivation. Motivation is every where in life.; its the decision to get up out of bed in the morning and head to another day of work, its the fuel to pass the McDonald's on the corner of Johnson street to pull into the subway next store so you can fit into your summer jeans, or maybe its the long nights in the library at med school so you can graduate at the top of your class. Regardless of where it is or what it's for we can all agree that motivation is very important. When we enter the world of education it is clear to see the importance for a student to have the motivation to learn. Going back to the quote above, if the fuel which lies within each of the students is motivation, then what is the things that ignites it? What is the spark? We should ask ourselves instead who is the spark? I believe that the teacher of the students is indeed the spark that can trigger the internal motivations of the students. In this paper I will be discussing how the teacher can successfully access the students as individuals to help motivate them in the classroom. I will also be writing about the different practices teachers can use in the classroom to help motivate their students. It is important that the teacher knows each one of his/her students in order apply the best motivational techniques for the students to learn new information. By observing and investigating who the students are the teacher can practice and apply different motivational skills. The teacher needs to pay attention to the emotional needs of each student. The emotional needs of the student could include needs such as power, success, love, belonging, stimulation, and attention(Thorne, Motivating Students to Learn). Its important that the teacher remembers the individuals will have different needs, while some will be more attracted to power in the classroom others may gravitate more toward a sense of belonging. It is completely natural for a student to want to feel all these things in the classroom and it is up to the teacher to create an environment where the students needs can be met. In doing this the teacher will have to use practices in the classroom that will motivate the students. There are many practices a teacher can use to enhance the motivation in the classroom, I will discuss a few. The first one has to do with the characteristics of the teacher. It is important that the teacher be motivated to teach! The teacher should come in with energy and passion ready to be an example for the students. It is also important that the students know the teacher cares about them and their learning. Students tend to be more motivated to learn when they see their teacher is passionate to teach and when they know their teacher cares about their well being. Along with being motivated, the teacher needs to create an environment where learning can be linked to the students life. The students will be more interested in learning if the teacher can show them why they need to learn the material. Connecting the information to the students future dreams or present situations will create interest in the students to want to learn more. The ability to manage the classroom is also a practice the teacher will have to do in order to keep the students motivated. Keeping things under control at times may require discipline, but it will be to the best interest of the teacher and the students. Also the teacher needs to keep things interesting and fun.This will keep the motivation level high for the students to want to learn. There is nothing worse then going into a classroom, knowing what to expect, because you have been doing the same thing for the last 5 months. One last motivational practice that can be used in the classroom is the giving back of feedback. It is important that the teacher do so in a timely fashion and in a tactful way. The teacher needs to be aware of how and when they are saying things to the students to avoid any miscommunications. Positive criticism is an important part of learning, however if the teacher isn't aware of the details in which the message is delivered, it could cause more harm than good. In conclusion, motivation is an important part of life and we see it everywhere. When dealing with the motivation of individual's in the field of education it is important that first and foremost, the instructor knows his/ her students and the needs of the individuals. In knowing this, the teacher can create an environment in the class room that can maximize the students motivation to learn, which will enhance their experience in the classroom.