As educators, we know that motivating students in the classroom environment can be challenging. So, when students feel overwhelmed or bored, the question naturally arises: How can I motivate my students during the lesson?
Here are six tips that will help your students to stay focused and motivated in the classroom.
1. Be enthusiastic about your subject.
Enthusiasm and passion are contagious, so share your enthusiasm and passion for your subject! Your positive energy motivates students and creates a successful learning atmosphere. When you are excited about teaching, they will be much more excited about learning.
2. Create a pleasant, safe environment.
Sitting at a desk day in and day out can make school seem a bit dull for some students. The first step to creating a friendly learning environment for your students is to know them better. Try to understand their needs, desires, and interests. When students feel appreciated, it creates a safe learning environment and motivates them to work harder.
3. Use a variety of teaching methods.
Dare to be creative and flexible. Students learn effectively by doing, constructing, designing, creating; learning improves when the student is forced to use multiple abilities. For instance, you can start from a writing exercise, move to a speaking session, then to a listening practice, and again back to writing to ensure students do not lose interest. Mix up your lessons so that students with different learning preferences will each get a period of time focused on the way they like learning.
If you want to find tasks that will help your students cultivate positive habits, have a look at the book Teaching Happiness in the Language Classroom!
4. Make students active participants in learning.
Students are more likely to learn by doing, making, writing, designing, creating, and solving than just by listening to a lecture. Including students in the learning process makes them feel valued and appreciated. Role-playing, debates, brainstorming, discussion, demonstrations, case studies, audiovisual presentations, or group work are only some examples of what you can do to keep students engaged!
5. Encourage group work.
Students find it fun trying to solve problems and work on projects with other students. Social interaction can get them excited about things in the classroom and students can motivate one another to reach a goal. However, ensure that groups are balanced and fair.
6. Make learning relevant.
Make the lesson more meaningful to your students by relating it to real-world situations or their personal interests. Dare to use examples from TV shows that are trending at that time, songs, or anything you find meaningful. Students are more motivated when they can see the relevance of what they are learning to their lives.
Interested in learning how can you keep students motivated during the exam season?
Read here!