Motivating Your K-12 Students Essay

One of the most essential aspects of the educational process is to know how to motivate students for learning. A challenging part of being a teacher is to know and learn how to motivate students. First of all, a good definition for motivation is as Byrnes quote “Motivation is construct

“ Students do become behaviorally, emotionally, and cognitively involved in the learning activities their teachers provide (e.g., write an essay, solve a math problem), and their extent of effort, enjoyment, and strategic thinking does predict important outcomes, such as achievement. But students also do more than this. Students also, more or less, proactively contribute into the flow of instruction they receive as they attempt not only to learn but also to create a more motivationally supportive learning environment for themselves ( Bandura,

Motivation is an important aspect of everyday life. "Researchers have consistently found that an approach based on extrinsic rewards and consequences actually reduces children's intrinsic motivation to learn" (Solley). Motivation is lost due to the pressure

Intrinsic motivation is a key aspect of student success in school. Van den Broeck, Vansteenkiste, and De Witte (2013) define intrinsic motivation as, “the engagement in an activity for its own sake, that is, for the satisfaction and enjoyment experienced during the course of the activity itself” (p. 4). Educators encourage intrinsic motivation within their students as it boosts

Motivation can be defined as the desire or inspiration to carry out specific tasks or to do something. Motivation is required when goals are being set and more so in their execution. In a work setting, motivation can be defined as a process through which individuals choose between alternative forms of behavior with the aim of achieving personal objectives. The goals sought by individuals can be extrinsic or relatively tangible such as monetary rewards and promotion, or intrinsic or intangible such as self esteem or job satisfaction (Armstrong, 2006). In learning, the desire to attain good grades is what motivates a student to study hard everyday as they prepare for the exam. On the other hand, for a teacher to put his best foot forward, he

Being an effective Instructor of Composition at the community college level requires a variety of skills and talents, many of which simply can’t be taught in formal classroom settings. Facing constant pressure to make judgments that have weighty consequences is just one of the challenges of teaching writing. A writing teacher who is too strict or inflexible can give students the excuse they may be seeking to withdraw or not perform in class. Some students are only too eager to proclaim that they can’t possibly meet high standards in writing, so there is “no use in even trying.” Putting stringent rules in place for a writing class does not necessarily provide an atmosphere that will foster successful student writing. But being lenient and

The key to advancing the learning of individuals, small groups and whole classes is motivation. Our

The fundamental aim of motivation within an educational environment is to essentially make certain that their students are continuously encouraged in order for them to complete any task effectively. The core significance of student motivational approaches is to aid an educator in boosting up student morale. An additional role of motivation is to ensure that even when students are facing a difficult time outside of school they are always encouraged to

In Ganah’s article (2012), motivation is stated as “essential for successful learning as less able students who are highly motivated can achieve greater success than more intelligent students who are not well motivated” (p. 251). I believe this author described motivation dead on. For my students in their Special Olympic competition, motivation was key. We as their coaches along with their fellow athletes stood at the finish line whether it was on the track or at the end of the pool, we stood cheering for them and they would run faster, swim harder, or work harder to finish. Just like motivation is key for the athletes I worked with, it is also key in the classroom. In the short essay, Motivating Factors in Child Learning (1937), the author gives us many factors that can influence a student’s motivation. Although this article was written many many years ago I can see the relevance in some of the methods. In the article I read about how a student’s emotions can effect how they learn (Mast, p.3). This was found true in my students. My students would have off days just like myself and any other human being. We modified their classwork on their bad days so that they could still accomplish some task but they were able to do it in their time. Helping my students was my ultimate goal and so modifying their classwork so they still complete some work only helped

Current research on young adolescent student motivation shows that the teacher must; make the lesson connect to the outside world as much as possible, let the students decide where they sit or what project to work on, guide the student rather than tell them the way, and be someone the student can trust and depend on. Teachers must motivate their students to become better and more engaged within the classroom by using techniques that allow the student to develop their own sense of motivation.

One major problem in the student body today is the lack of motivation kids have in their schoolwork. The most effective way to keep them motivated is an inner motivation within themselves, or an interior motivation, rather than parents and teachers pushing them to do their best, or an exterior motivation. The best ways to do this is to make learning fun and interesting (not boring), and to help them understand why they will need the skills they are learning are for.

It has been pointed out that students who are bored by school and "unmotivated" in the eyes of the teacher nevertheless find plenty of motivation for playing a sport. The obvious question, then, is what is motivating about a sport? Think about a group of young people in a baseball game. The very things that motivate them to work hard and do well playing baseball can be adapted to the classroom. Let's look at them:

A theory that supports motivation is the self determination theory. In the self determination theory people need to grow and gain fulfillment by a drive in them. Self Determination is the process of deciding how to act on ones environment. When one is trying to overcome a challenge or encountering a new experience a person wants to gain the knowledge to succeed over the new challenge. When self determination theory is in focus internal factors are at play; a person is primarily focused on the need to gain knowledge or independence. There are three factors that contribute to a student’s self determination and the needs are linked to the student’s

What is motivation? What influences it? The term motivation can be defined in different ways. Motivation can simply defined as “ a need that, if high, is evident in a strong desire to achieve, to excel, to reach a high level of excellence” (Lefrancois 430). To become motivated, one must have a positive attitude to a variety of learning skills. Some factors that influence motivation include our peers, friends, parents, and environmental settings. Division four being high school division, attention is focused towards learning and what methods can be used. Students at this stage are more eager and develop a sense of what he or she wants to do and accomplish in upcoming adulthood. With a division comes a group of intelligent theorists. All

A second way to intrinsically motivate students is to “understand the children” (Specific Classroom Management Methods). Originality and creativity should be encouraged in all students. Make a point to give students opportunities to express themselves in different ways. Each child is unique and self-expression is a great way to learn about each and every student. When starting the year, “Knowing what background your students bring to class and starting the course at an appropriate level can increase a students success and…positive feelings they have about your