STUDENT MOTIVATION

Student motivation can lead to better attendance, student engagement, and student success. The evidence-based practices below are taken from the Student Motivation domain of the Teaching Effectiveness Framework.

1) START WITH KEY PRACTICES

BELIEVE IN YOUR STUDENTS!

When you truly believe that all students can succeed, your attitude and language will most likely be motivating to them. Promote this same mindset in students, so they believe in themselves. When students believe in themselves and their ability to learn, they can better handle difficult tasks and recover from failure when it happens.

BUILD CLASSROOM RAPPORT

Offer praise for student questions, mistakes, and academic risk-taking. Make space in your assignments for practice, error, and revision. This allows students to engage in thinking and problem-solving rather than worrying. Check in with students who are not participating.

MAKE CONNECTIONS FOR YOUR STUDENTS

...AND MODEL HOW THEY CAN MAKE THEIR OWN CONNECTIONS

Students are motivated when they see the relevance of content as it pertains to other courses, their future, and the potential to make the world a better place. Get to know your students, their backgrounds, interests, and reasons for taking your course. Make connections between your content and your current group of students

IN LARGE CLASSES Survey or i-Clicker questions can help you get to know your students and make connections to their interests and their world.

PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO THINK, INTERACT, AND REFLECT

Provide space for students to internalize the material. Vary how you deliver course content; incorporate time to listen to, think about, read, and discuss content during class. Circulate the room while students are working in groups and support them by modeling and providing guidelines for how they can best engage with content and each other.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TEACHING ONLINE

Establish an audio and video presence in your online and hybrid courses to help your students feel comfortable with you. View this video from Dr. Julie Taylor-Massey for inspiration.