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Motivation in the classroom is one of the major keys to both teacher and student success. A teacher's ability to motivate his students helps determining whether or not he is a good teacher, and student motivation factors into overall academic success. When attempting to motivate students, it is vital to be encouraging and positively reward good behavior. The teacher, however, must also gently yet firmly correct negative behavior in order to maintain a sense of positive motivation. According to one of the universally accepted definitions of motivation, it is an internal state of being, or an internal condition that activates one's behavior, giving it direction. Motivation has also been defined as a desire or need... There are many reasons why motivation is important and there are many different things that effect a student's motivation Importance of Motivation in the Classroom When you have no motivation to study, it can be hard to get the grades you need to accomplish your educational goals. Most students, believe it or not, are capable of doing very well in school despite what their current grades are showing. Most of the time, it's not the lack of ability to learn the material but the lack to interest and motivation to put in the effort to actually do well. If you are the teacher, it's important that you do what you can to teach the material in a way that will interest the students. Even something as boring as history can be taught in a stimulating way. How to Motivate Students to Learn Motivated students are excited to be at school, eager to learn, and focused on lessons. "Unfortunately, there is no single magical formula for motivating students," according to Barbara Gross Davis of the University of California, Berkeley. Therefore it is important to implement several motivation strategies. The more motivated a student is, the less likely it is to become a problematic student. Create a positive atmosphere. The classroom should be a place where students enjoy spending time and feel safe. Avoid using negative words and classroom discipline measures; instead, teach students how to encourage one another. Praise students often. Frequent praise that tells students what they are doing well can motivate them to try harder in areas where they don't do well. Even if a child is not following directions or does not comprehend a lesson, find something small to praise along with gentle correction or re-teaching when necessary. For example, if a child does not understand a concept, praise him for his effort and explain the concept again. If the child is not following directions, praise his enthusiasm and redirect his behavior by saying something like, "Thank you for sitting back in your seat, please", which reminds him in a positive way what is expected of him. Connect concepts to your students' lives. Lessons that hold little meaning to a student will not be as motivating as lessons to which she can relate personally. Find ways to apply each lesson to the individual situations in which your students might find themselves. For example, students who live in Florida will have greater motivation to learn about hurricanes than students who live in Tennessee. Involve students in lessons. By keeping students active participants in the learning process, they will be more involved and motivated to learn. Use projects, group discussions, games, etc Motivation to learn is paramount to student success. The sources of motivation are complex. The motivation to learn is personal and comes from within an individual, but can be influenced by external factors. Educators must keep the principles of motivation at the fore front of all instructional design. The applications of motivation theory are limited only by one's imagination. The concepts learner motivation underline the importance of learner analysis in instructional design. Motivation is the backbone of any classroom. When the students are motivated, the teacher can perform his/her job the best. A teacher can do a lot to improve the students' motivation, and the effort involved is an essential part of the teaching profession Source of article http://www.buzzle.com/articles/motivation-in-the-classroom.html http://www.priceless-teaching-strategies.com/student_motivation.html http://www.shabait.com/categoryblog/3200-what-motivation-is-and-why-it-is-important-in-classroom-situation http://www.motivational-well-being.com/importance-of-motivation.html http://tccl.rit.albany.edu/knilt/index.php/Unit_Two:_Why_is_Motivation_Important_in_the_classroom%3F http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/alexenoamen/ways-motivating-efl-esl-students-classroom http://jenniferwagaman.suite101.com/how-to-motivate-your-students-a77615 http://teachersindex.com/how-to-motivate-students.html