Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Classroom Motivation

Classroom motivation is a very tricky subject. Some students have the tendency to not have the motivation at all. It may be that a lot of teachers or administrators have given up on them already, and their situation is just short of a self-fulfilling prophecy. It may also be that they're going through a difficult time in their lives or already have bad preconceived notions on the subject that you want to teach. Well, whatever the reason, I view the job of the teacher to be one that can adapt to the needs of both the class and the individual. I think that the most important way to get the students motivated in class is to make the matter that I'm teaching them relevant to their lives. For example, I could try to show them how learning to speak Spanish could help them find directions to a place that they want to go to in a city. I could use a very concrete example of directions to teach them how to learn a cultural dance. These would all be ways to keep them in high expectations but at the same time keep them in their ZPD. I think it's also important that I try to create a good image for myself in class. I want to be seen (and known) as someone that they can trust and turn to if they have problems understanding the material and not put down for saying "stupid things" (SLT). I think a big part of motivation is also nonverbal and verbal communication. A smile and an encouraging "Yes, you can do it" goes a very long way. I would also want to keep them very mentally engaged. I could do this giving them a lot of exposure to the Spanish language and culture in a way that they can appreciate. (DLT) If I give a lot of exposure to the language, the class should be able to remain in the room for the whole time in class (BLT). I could also try to assess their progress regularly to make inferences on their progress (CLT).

No comments:

Post a Comment