Practice Thirteen – Tips for Motivating Learners
Tips for Motivating Learners
Motivation is a key factor in improving learner’s effort. Relationships and frequent feedback are essential elements in creating a positive learning environment. The following suggestions can also increase learners’ efforts to work hard, take learning risks, and to desire success.
Expectation #7 “ We will encourage each other to do our best.” (Poster)
- Reflect clear expectations and consistent standards.
- Use the 8 Expectations for Living as a standard of daily conduct and effort.
- Be consistent – calm and assertive demeanor, prepared, and focused on the cultural and academic outcomes.
- Check your level of motivation, It is contagious.
- Have clearly defined objectives.
- Be prepared with a vision and goal for the learning.
- Track learners’ efforts and progress, reduce frustrations by use of posted goals/objectives and product requirements (i.e. rubrics, etc.).
- Present lesson withenthusiasm and curiosity.
- Aid learners in setting learning goals and evaluating their progress.
- Create a threat-free environment. (Practice Six)
- Reduce clutter in the working environment; less is more.
- Provide space for individual, group, and pair learning.
- Offer organizers and written directions for those who need it.
- Make resources available.
- Build a strong support system.
- Use Cooperative Learning, pairs, teams, etc. to promote social learning. and to develop a sense of connectedness
- Offer frequent feedback as to progress and effort of all learners.
- Clarify roles and goals within each learning segment.
- Help learners to develop “a sense of control”
- Allow learners input in determining the scope and sequence of the learning.
- Provide opportunities for learners to supply authentic learning products.
- Offer learners opportunities to teach what they know.
- Balance routine and fun.
- Engage learners’ interests and skills.
- Begin with structured learning and then open the door for exploration.
- Aid learners in setting challenges by goal-setting.
- Celebrate efforts and successes.
- Encourage efforts and successes throughout the learning.
- Celebrate group successes and goals reached to reinforce the reason for the lesson.
- Allow learner the opportunity to direct the celebrations.