Tenth Teaching Reflection

So in class this week we were discussing student motivation and I began to contemplate what that truly entails. How do teachers do it? What do you say? How do you approach it without becoming a tyrant or a task-master that they don't want to cooperate with?

I have found that the key to forming positive relationships with my students and focusing on motivating them is to let them know that I have their best interests in mind. In hindsight, several of my attempts to inspire a student in the right direction could have been construed as mean-spirited or forceful if s/he did not trust that I wanted what was best for them. One way in which I have tried to establish that same kind of trusting relationship with all of my students is to routinely ask them for feedback on how I can better meet their needs. By soliciting their opinions, I can show them that I value their opinions and want to do my best to serve them, and also improve upon my own instruction.

Of course, when asking students for feedback, it is important to also acknowledge their concerns and incorporate some of their suggestions. THIS is what motivation is all about! After asking my students to critique my instruction early in the semester and by asking them to offer some suggestions about what is the best option for them as far as studying for tests, etc I learned that they valued some of my methods more so than others. I took this into consideration and made sure to try and add more of them to my lessons as a way to enhance their learning, and more importantly to show them how I valued their feedback. As a result, I have noticed that my students feel comfortable coming to me with concerns about our class, and I value the open relationship that we have.

Motivation also occurs when I remember that students are people, and that so am I. I make mistakes, but know that I can motivate them and myself by relaxing, "keeping it real", and by doing creating a comfortable environment in which we can all learn. As I have become more secure in my role as a teacher, I have found that, by using appropriate down-time to engage in casual, friendly conversation with my students, I can successfully navigate the line between friend and authority figure. This is a line that I originally thought would be difficult to balance (and I expect that it may change from class to class and year to year), but recent peer observations suggest that I have been able to create a friendly atmosphere that students can both enjoy and benefit from.

AT THE END OF THE DAY (I thought I could drop in this hated, cliche phrase just for grins), when thinking about my classroom, my students, and life in general, I like to think about this Lee J. Colan quote:

"Meaning precedes motivation."