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Motivating your students should be a teacher’s primary goal not only in the course as a whole but every day as well. From the first time you meet your students to the last day of class the motivation you instill should be constant. This motivation is crucial for your students to absorb so they may prosper in three major ways: focus in the classroom, ambition outside the classroom, and embodying a student mentality. These three things are the fruits of the motivation you give to your students. A lot of students may already come to your class with a student mentality, however when teaching younger students it is especially important, and there is always room for improvement. Learning a new language is difficult, but with an inspiring teacher a student can enjoy the struggle and look forward to future difficulties with a bright outlook. Positive reinforcement is one way to build up your students’ confidence. This can come in many different forms from the way you grade assignments to the way you correct students in class. This all may sound like spoiling your students with minimal coursework, but nothing could be further from the truth. A stimulating course schedule is key too, but you must activate the students desire to learn first and foremost. When you gift a student mentality through your motivation, you give your students a different outlook. Ambition outside the classroom starts inside the classroom. The work ethic you expect of your students should carry over to the home. The homework you assign should be just as engaging as the course work in the classroom. When assigning vocabulary use themes such as travel plans or kitchen necessities. When assigning grammar use gap fill or story telling so their imagination is triggered. Homework shouldn’t be something your student dread, so different types of study materials are important. If you have variety in the types of homework assigned it will keep students on their toes, and encourage them to explore their new language. The type of source material the teacher draws from will give the students a taste of the breadth of the language. The motivation you give can build the students’ confidence up so when they finish their at home assignment, maybe they will take a step further and work ahead in the book or find similar videos to watch or even practice the language when they go out. Getting your students to focus in the classroom is a difficult task, because most times you will be outnumbered and there may be some troublemakers too. You can combat this with an armory of engaging material and a positive attitude. The engaging material supplemented by the variety of ESA (Engage Study Activate) lesson planning techniques will spark interest while you positive attitude will draw even the most hesitant student to participate. Handling corrections and punishment as fairly and calmly as possible will endear your students to you and form a mutual bond of respect, which will motivate them further. When you motivate your students to try and nurture a safe learning environment your students will become focused and will enjoy the class more. I’m sure that through proper motivation techniques and a healthy amount of engaging course work I can help them embody the student mentality, spark ambition outside the classroom, and support their focus inside the classroom. A teacher should be a source of motivation and strength that their students can draw from in times of struggle. Motivating your students today will push them to succeed tomorrow.
