Image Source
Most of the teachers are having a hard time in getting the attention of their students. If you are teaching the younger ones, you will notice that their concentration is too short. The thirty-minute discussion seems like forever to them. Little kids are fond of playing and tend to move from one place to another. On the other hand, teenagers are more attentive but they are also good actors. Yes, you can expect them to sit for a couple of hours but what you didn’t know is that they are just pretending to listen. They are both physically present and mentally absent. Some of them will try to cut classes without your consent or even if they ask permission to you, some will tell lies just to avoid the boring subject. The sudden stomach pain and the emergency phone call from the house are the common excuses that they are using.
I strongly believe that those students who are committing this kind of unpleasant habits are not bad at all, they just need a certain amount of push and inspiration to strive harder in their studies. Instead of getting mad at them, you must learn to look beyond based on their actions. If you observed that he was quite rebellious, maybe his parents had a serious fight yesterday. There are also instances that your student is suffering from financial crisis and haven’t eaten his breakfast. These factors can affect their behavior and personality inside the classroom. As a teacher, you have to save your students from losing their interest completely. Help them to bring back the excitement in their hearts.
What can you do to motivate them?
Image Source
Inspire yourself first before you can inspire them.
You will never succeed in motivating other people if you are unhappy in everything that you do. Teaching must be your passion and not just a job that will help you to pay bills. If you enter this field for the sake of money, you will end up quitting and regretting this profession. Instead of complaining, learn to embrace it with open arms. Be the role model to your students; let them imitate your positive spirit.
Image Source
Appreciate the strength and love their weaknesses.
There are students who are born with the natural eagerness to learn. They are usually active and energetic to participate in school activities. It will be easier for you to celebrate with them whenever they are achieving something. But how about those who are not? Love them even more. Don’t categorize them as useless individuals. Show your genuine concern and always remind that they are great as well.
Image Source
Allow them to have freedom; they are not prisoners.
What will you feel when someone is telling you to do things without even asking for your opinion? Will you be contented to stay as a listener and never get the chance to be heard the ideas on your mind? Your students are also like that, they will be exhausted if the teacher is a dictator. They will be lazy to attend your classes and will not be interested in the new topics. Don’t make them hate the subject.
Image Source
Don’t give them tons of irrelevant homework.
Focus on the quality and not on the quantity. If you are thinking that they will learn more if you are giving more assignments and projects, it is not helping. If there’s a deadline to meet, they will surely tend to rush it. Instead of confusing them with many pieces of information, try to give them a moderate amount of homework. It will increase the chance that they will remember the things that they learned.
Image Source
Use the verbal power to say words of encouragement.
Words are powerful; it can either destroy or heal a soul. You must believe that they all have the potentials to be successful in life. Never get tired of telling them that you are their number one fan. When a person feels that his efforts are being recognized, it will make him want to prove more about his ability and skills. Grab this opportunity to build up the confidence of your students to give their best.
Motivating a student is going to be hard but you should trust them and yourself as well. Prepare your lessons to be fun, think about new activities, and never stop improving your way of teaching. You can try to include a humor when you are talking and of course, laugh with them. It is also important to give them breaks in the middle of a discussion. A simple stretching, drinking water and letting the children go in the comfort room can make a difference. Don’t force them to be alert all the time, help them to survive the boredom. You can also add some colorful decorations, paint the walls with bright colors, and put some paintings with inspirational messages. Make your classroom a friendly place as much as you can. The ambiance should give the feeling of excitement so that your students will never want to skip the classes anymore.
You must facilitate them how to keep the motivation burning because life will be cruel. They are the future leaders and you already know it. But these children are still unaware or even if they heard it before, they still don’t understand the meaning of it. It is in your hands to train them to be the best version of themselves. If the adults like us are never exempted to feel the down moments, how much more of these little kids? They need a teacher that will not only teach them how to cook the rice; you must also show them how to plant the grains. Influence your students to create their own inspiration until they are ready to sail their boat. Motivation is not instant, a continuous perseverance is needed.
