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The Facts About Motivating Students

11. Showing models of work done well by their peers can be a powerful motivator for many students.

11. True: When students see not just a model, but models done well by their peers, they benefit in two ways. First, they not only understand what they have to do to succeed, but they realize that it is possible to do it well. After all, if someone their own age can do it, so can they.

12. Instructional expectations should become more stringent as the year progresses.

12. True: To effectively motivate students, begin with work that is easier for students to do successfully at the start of the year. Since success tends to lead to more success, savvy teachers know that they can create an upward spiral of accomplishment and energy by building on easier assignments that students do well.

13. Rewarding their effort builds student self-esteem.

13. False…but: While it is important to recognize effort, rewarding effort will not generate long-term results. Teachers should recognize effort as a way of showing students the relationship between hard work and accomplishment, but to just recognize effort and not mastery is not a productive way to motivate students. Students who accomplish a goal are more likely to have increased self-esteem than those students who are rewarded for just trying to meet that goal.

14. Calling or emailing a student’s home with positive comments is a good way to get students to do their work.

14. True: Teachers who notify the parents and families of their students when they are successful find that those positive home contacts really pay off in increased student engagement. Contacting the significant adults in a student’s life with good news is also a way to create that all-important bond between home and school.

15. Students tend to perform better with a predictable routine.

15. True: While students do perform better with a predictable routine, this does not mean that their teachers should ignore the importance of grabbing their students’ attention and making class interesting for all students within the parameters of predictable class routines. For example, if your class begins with warm up activities, make them as interesting and thought-provoking as you can.

16. Many students like to learn just for the pleasure of learning.

16. False: While there are some students who like to learn for the pleasure of learning, there are many more who are so burdened by various other issues that they need something more to keep them focused on learning.

17. If their teacher is bored with a subject, then students are likely to be bored also.

17. True: One of the most important motivational forces in a student’s life is an energetic, dynamic teacher. A good teacher can transform a classroom. A positive, “can-do,” enthusiastic teacher makes or breaks a student’s day.

18. Extrinsic rewards work well for almost every student.

18. False: A combination of extrinsic and intrinsic rewards works better than extrinsic rewards alone. Extrinsic rewards have limitations for almost every student, no matter what their age or ability level while most intrinsic ones do not. Combining the two creates a positive synergy.

19. Using food treats as rewards is now regarded with disfavor in many school districts.

19. True: Using food as a reward has fallen into disfavor in many districts for many reasons: the rise in childhood obesity, the increase in food allergies and diseases associated with food, and the mixed message that we send students by giving them treats that they may have been told to avoid or eat only in moderation in a health class.

20. Younger children are easier to motivate to succeed in school than older ones.

20. False: Students of all ages require various types of motivation, just as we adults need to be motivated to do our best from time to time.

Continue reading for the next questions/answers.

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