Teach English in Yinping Zhen - Zaozhuang Shi

Every Child Can Learn . Every Child Must Learn has been the mantra of The Ministry of Education ,Youth and Information in Jamaica for over three years . It is a noteworthy one and demands that as an educator ,it is my responsibility to ensure that every child who enters my classroom ,learns. Yet, I grapple with the question :How can I motivate my students to learn? The classroom should be a place where students come to explore, to learn ,to discover ,to dream and to thrive, however, sometimes , as a teacher, it can be difficult to help students who do not seem interested in the daily classroom activities. They are often downcast and reluctant or sometimes just -bored, and I am often concerned as to how do I get these students to open up . How can I motivate them to explore with me? What is motivation? Motivation is the force that force that energizes ,sustains and directs behavior towards a goal. (Eggen and Kauchan 2007) . This force that propelled me as a child ,directed me into this career path, that energy ,is needed in my classroom. What are the types of motivation ? Elizabeth Mulvahill (2018) ,in her book Understanding Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation in the Classroom, inputs that there are two types of motivation . These are Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation. She explains that Intrinsic motivation is doing something for the sake of personal satisfaction. Its an inside force that challenges and empowers the person from within , they feel a sense of accomplishment when they are finished with their tasks. They don’t need stickers or fun items, they just need that challenge to be all they can be. On the other hand , she explains that extrinsic motivation is doing something to earn a reward or to avoid punishment. It is from an outside force that triggers an action. The student does it in order to get something like a toy, extra time on their favorite task. This can be in the form of stickers or for their names to be placed on the class’ reward board. As an educator ,I have asked myself , which is better? To be intrinsically motivated or to be extrinsically motivated? I understand that none can be determined to be better in the sense of being the right one. The student who is intrinsically motivated may not need tangible rewards but still need to know that their efforts are appreciated. The student who needs to be extrinsically motivated can develop dependencies and will only perform or complete a task if a reward is there. If there is no reward, no work is done, no task is completed. By prodding further ,I had to ask myself : Do students who need to be extrinsically motivated have self esteem issues? If they are confident in their abilities ,why do they need to tangibly rewarded? Is it that they compare their abilities to others or are they looking for validation? As a classroom teacher ,I have met students who were both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated. I have had to learn the truth behind students’ performances and address issues of having a reward system. On one hand I wanted to show my students that their efforts were appreciated but I did not want them to expect rewards after every activity. How do I create a balance ? In creating a balance I needed to view students as individuals, each with his own personalities and learning styles , each with different reasons for wanting to learn, and that there will be times that I will need to reward students for completing an unpleasant or complicated task. I wanted them to be interested in learning ,I wanted them to soar , hence, the balance needed was in knowing my students as unique individuals. A guide to Managing the Classroom Environment :Using the Classroom Management Instructional Approach and Motivation by Timmeca Cooke ,et al, provided some practical ways to motivate students: Some of which are : 1. Know your students’ names and use their names as often as possible. I believe this will help students to feel a part of and enhance rapport within my classroom. 2. Plan for every class 3. If possible set your classroom in a U-shape to encourage interaction among students . This will encourage participation even if a reward is not given. 4. Pay attention to the strengths and limitations of each of your students. Reward their strengths and strengthen their weakness. There were times that an extra minute or two after class with a particular student has helped them to be more assertive and confident . 5. Move around the class. As an educator , I always ensure that I wear comfortable shoes as I have had large classes and I needed to stand so as to view and help each student. I have tried to give equal attention to all my students and not to have favorites. 6. Give appropriate rewards 7. Be expressive . Smile . This one I found to be really important as sometimes there are students who are experiencing challenges at home or in their communities and will need to feel welcome and appreciated. In Jamaica , the theme for Child’s Month in May 2019 was,” Include , Enable ,Encourage me” This theme resonated in the minds of educators everywhere as children are children and they do need to feel involved, included and encouraged . Motivate them . References Cooke T. et al, (2014) A Guide to Managing the Classroom Environment : Using The Classroom Management Instructional Approach and Motivation. Eggen P and Kauchak D.(2007) Educational Psychology ,Windows on Classroom ,7th Edition , Upper Saddle River ,New Jersey :Merril Prentice Hall. Mulvahill E. (2018) Understanding Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation in the Classroom