"If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn."
Ignacio Estrada

Monday, January 24, 2011

Student Motivation

Some students are naturally motivated, while others are not. What do you believe is the basis for student motivation in the classroom?

18 comments:

  1. I believe the basis for student motivation in the classroom includes intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. I think the students are motivated extrinsically from their teachers and their classmates. I think when a student gets feedback from their classmates, it means a lot to them because it's coming from people on their level. Teachers help motivate students by encouraging them to learn and to try their best. When students are struggling on something, teachers are there in the classroom to help out and help the students pull through.

    I think the students are intrinsically motivated when they get to work on something that they really enjoy. Like a student may be more motivated in Math rather than Social Studies. So to keep that student motivated, the teacher can come up with ways to to keep the child motivated. For example, they could incorporate Math into the subject, or they could do some really creative activities in Social Studies to really grasp the student's interest.

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  2. One of the reasons I decided to teach Early Childhood/ Elementary Education was because of the students’ motivation. Young children (the younger, the more) crave to learn. They may not enjoy getting up early in the morning, or sitting next to Billy at large group carpet time, but they love learning. When they read a book for the first time, when they finally understand a math concept, or when they learn how the planets move—it drive them, it makes them ecstatic. But, what about the students who don’t have this passion, excitement and motivation for learning?
    I think motivation comes from your experiences. Students may have motivation to learn because of how they were raised, because they take pleasure in the feeling of accomplishment or because they enjoy the whole process of learning. I think that if a child doesn’t have motivation in the classroom, there are many possible reasons for this.
    If a student is trying their hardest and it is not ‘good enough,’ they may begin to lose motivation for learning. Our responsibility as teachers is to keep that motivation up. We can do something like get the child extra help, or something as little as praising the child when they complete a task correctly and encouraging them daily. Another reason for the lack of motivation may be their home life. If a child comes from a low income family who does not value education, they have a higher chance of losing their motivation. As teachers, I think it is our responsibility to help that student break his or her family cycle. There are many reasons for lack of motivations, in students and teachers alike, but there are also strategies to conquer this dilemma.

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  3. I agree with Lindsay's comment. I also think that students get a lot of their motivation from outside sources. When children are encouraged by classmates or teachers, it gives them a sense of achievement which will in turn motivate them to keep trying their best.

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  4. I believe that student motivation comes when students really enjoy what they are learning and working on. It helps them pay attention longer than five minutes. I know that the material that I remember from when I was in elementary school, are the things that got me moving around and were hands on activities. If students are able to "get their hands dirty" with different experiments or projects, they are more likely to be motivated to keep going.
    I also think that if the students are able to relate to what they are learning, then they are more likely to be interested in the topic. They can link it to their everyday life and realize that a lot of the things they will learn in school can, and will, be used even when you are done with school. Another way they can be motivated is by watching their parents and teachers.Students often see adults and wish they could be doing some of those things as well. This can also keep them motivated to do what they need to so that they can one day be the adult that children look up to.

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  5. I also agree with Lindsay for the most part. However, I sometimes wonder how good peer review is. Some students might just give another student a good grade because they are their friends or they don't want to hurt their feelings. If this is the case I don't know how effective peer review really is. What does everyone think?

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  6. I think the basis for student motivation in the classroom is the hope of achieving the class. If the student wants to achieve, they have to have the motivation to work harder. The motivation used in the classroom, can in return help the student’s self-esteem. Teachers may need to help students who are not as motivated in their classroom. This will help the student to achieve the same success as the other students. In regards to the hope of achieving in the classroom, the teacher is a huge factor. The students need a teacher with a positive attitude. The teacher needs to help their students with their own positive attitude. I even remember in past education experience, the teacher’s attitude had an effect on the motivation I had in the class. When a teacher was positive about what he or she was teaching, I was more motivated to learn in the class.

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  7. I agree with Lindsay's posting. I agree with both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are in the classroom. I have noticed it in past educational experiences. The feedback from any situation can be very motivating, and this is obvious in the classroom.
    I like Lindsay's idea of incorporating one subject into another to keep students intrinsically motivated!

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  8. I learned a lot about motivation in my first week of experience. I go in at the time when students are working on their J-term projects. I work with three students who are working on their individual projects. They all seem to be very motivated about their projects because they are working on something that they are interested in. By being given choices, students are motivated to work towards the goal that they set for themselves.
    It was very neat to see these students' ideas come to life as the week went on. They are all very creative.

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  9. I feel that student motivation can depend on many factors, ranging from the classroom environment to whether or not the student likes the subject they are currently working on. I think an important key in motivating a student is creating a classroom atmosphere that will really push a student to do his or her work. This, of course, is a hard thing to do. If a classroom is too gloomy a student may just not feel up to doing any work, but if it is too hectic a student may be distracted by everything that is going on around them. Ultimately it is up to the teacher to create an atmosphere that they feel will motivate students to be good workers.

    Another thing that may play a role in a students motivation is their feelings toward a certain activity or subject area that they are working in. It is very hard to motivate a student to work hard in a subject that they do not like, or even one that they are not that good at. Again, this is a situation where the teacher must find a way to keep this student working by doing things like modifying lessons to play to the students' needs.

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  10. Just like every student is unique and has different learning styles, every student has their own way of becoming motivated. As teachers it is our job to investigate exactly what we can do in the classroom to get everyone involved and motivated. All students come from different backgrounds. Some students may have a great home life and family that is very encouraging and helpful, while other students may not get that at all. These separate types of backgrounds make a big difference, and will alter the way we may teach and motivate students. Some students will want to work hard after seeing other students be successful. And other students are motivated by their grades and how they do on a spelling test for example. A lot of students need to have fun, to really get them engaged and motivated to learn. I feel like figuring out the correct learning styles to use and how to motivate these students go hand in hand. Every student needs to have success and encouragement, something to fuel the fire of learning. That is exactly why I am so excited to be a teacher in the near future. I will get to know each student and how they are best motivated, and make my lesson plans accordingly. It is important to give students the best environment possible for them to be motivated and excited to learn new things.

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  11. I agree with Jenna about relating to the content and enjoying it. I even notice this about myself when I am sitting in class. I learn the most and pay attention better when I am learning something I enjoy and have activities that keep me engaged and eager to learn more. Sometimes I feel like we can really relate to our students and figure out how to keep them engaged. Just from the first week of level II in the third grade classroom, I have already observed a lot of positive teaching methods used to keep students eager to learn. Reading a chapter a day from a book, for example was a real hit in the classroom. The students always wanted to read more and learn more. They may have not realized how much they are actually learning or the benefits, but they are eager to learn about what happens next, without even knowing how much they are learning. There are many methods to keep students motivated, and it is exciting goal to take on.

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  12. I believe that motivation comes from the student’s personal thoughts of their self and well being. I think that there are also a large amount of other factors that go along with motivation also. I believe that every student is very different from another. There are certain things in each student that will get them excited, or maybe the opposite effect. I believe that students’ seeking the approval from others is a large factor that can deal with motivation. In today's society there is a strong need and want to be part of the "norm". Students fitting in and being successful would be seen as part of the “norm”. I also believe that each student has a certain type of self motivation. Just as each student is different, they will have different factors or even subjects in school that will motivate them more than others. I also have a strong belief that family and home life plays a large factor in the motivation of a student. If they have the want and need to prove themselves within their homes they will have a strong urge and want to be the best they can be.

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  13. I strongly agree with what Christie had to say. I truly never thought of answering the question in this way. After reading what she had to say the answers seemed so simple. There indeed is a lot of motivation in younger grades because they love to learn and they strongly want to learn more. New things are being introduced left and right. Also as they are growing into their own self they are learning more about their self and becoming more independent. I do still believe that there is certainly room for low motivation because it is hard for students be on the ball all the time. Things pop up at home that can pour on over to school time, but for the most part I believe in self motivation. In the classroom I am observing it is so inspiring to see the students so eager to read and learn from the stories they are reading. To them that is a form of self motivation mixed together with pleasure.

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  14. Some students are naturally enthusiastic about learning, where as some need a little extra help from the instructor. Our job as teachers is to make sure every student is enthusiastic and motivated to learn. Many factors affect a student's motivation to work and to learn; interest in the subject matter, perception of its usefulness, general desire to achieve, self-confidence and self-esteem, as well as patience and persistence. And, of course, not all students are motivated by the same values, needs, desires, or wants. Some of your students will be motivated by the approval of others, some by overcoming challenges. We need to be aware of how every student in our classrooms is motivated to help them learn effectively. Given are ways to help motivated your students:
    •Help students find personal meaning and value in what they are learning.
    •Assign tasks that are neither too hard nor easy to ensure student success.
    •Have an open and positive atmosphere
    •Make students feel valued in the classroom.
    •Give frequent, positive feedback that encourages their self-esteem.

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  15. Today, in class the students were given options of things to do during science. Having the option of picking what they wanted to do really motivated the students. This gave them the chance to choice activities that they were interested in, but still filled their heads with information. I thought this was a good way to keep them motivated in their learning.

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  16. I agree with Christie's statements about he motivation of elementary students vs. that of older students. I feel that elementary students' motivation to learn is one of the greatest things about being a teacher at this level.

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  17. Thanks for all of the comments! Check out this article (Why Every Student Needs Critical Friends) about engaging students through constructive feedback from peers (You will need to copy and paste in order to get to the article).


    http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=104&sid=fb6e587d-3d44-4b03-8f3b-3a9d7e39964e%40sessionmgr115&vid=6

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  18. If for some reason you can't get to the article, please let me know and I will email it to you! (amy.griswold@uni.edu)

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