Motivation: Methods & Role of Teacher in Motivating Children

Motivation: Methods & Role of Teacher in Motivating Children

Meaning of Motivation

Motivation is the reason for people’s actions, willingness and goals. Motivation is derived from the word motive which is defined as a need that requires satisfaction. These needs could also be wants or desires that are acquired through influence of culture, society, lifestyle, etc. or generally innate. Motivation is one’s direction to behaviour, or what causes a person to want to repeat a behaviour, a set of force that acts behind the motives. An individual’s motivation may be inspired by others or events (extrinsic motivation) or it may come from within the individual (intrinsic motivation). Motivation has been considered as one of the most important reasons that inspires a person to move forward. Motivation results from the interaction of both conscious and unconscious factors. Mastering motivation to allow sustained and deliberate practice is central to high levels of achievement e.g. in the worlds of elite sport, medicine or music.

Definitions

Some definitions are discussed as follows-

Berelson and Steiner- “A motive is an inner state that energizes, activates, or moves and directs or channels behaviour goals.”

Lillis- “It is the stimulation of any emotion or desire operating upon one’s will and promoting or driving it to action.”

The Encyclopedia of Management- “Motivation refers to degree of readiness of an organism to pursue some designated goal and implies the determination of the nature and locus of the forces, including the degree of readiness.”

Dubin- “Motivation is the complex of forces starting and keeping a person at work in an organization.”

Vance- “Motivation implies any emotion or desire which so conditions one’s will that the individual is properly led into action.”

Vitiles- “Motivation represents an unsatisfied need which creates a state of tension or disequilibrium, causing the individual to make in a goal-directed pattern towards restoring a state of equilibrium by satisfying the need.”

Memoria- “A willingness to expend energy to achieve a goal or reward. It is a force that activates dormant energies and sets in motion the action of the people. It is the function that kindles a burning passion for action among the human beings of an organization.”

Methods of Motivating Childrens

Some children are self-motivated. And other kids are less motivated and need a little push here or a lot of prodding there. To motivate child, one might automatically think of rewarding child for every step he takes in the right direction, and applying negative consequences for steps he takes in the wrong direction. In reality, the best approach is to go easy on the rewards and punishments and cultivate his internal motivation help him to tune into the feelings of accomplishment and the pride he feels for a job well done. These are 10 ways which will help to motivate the child-

1. Set Goals- Have them set goals. Make a list of short-term goals and one of the long-term goals. Make sure the goals are reachable but require effort to obtain.
2. Make a Plan- In order to reach goals, you need a plan. Help your children create a strategy for reaching their goals. Make a step-by-step plan to reach them.
3. Celebrate Accomplishments- When your child accomplishes their goals, let them know that you are proud of them. Celebrate these things together. Reward your child for their hard work with a sense of accomplishment.
4. Make Things Competitive- Encourage healthy competition. Cheer on your child to beat another runner in a race or to take home the trophy from the spelling bee. Make competition about positivity and strength in regards to your child and never about negativity and weakness towards the competitor.
5. Encourage Them- Let your child know that you believe in them. Tell them how great they are going to do. Dismiss any self-doubt or fears they may have.
6. Take Interest- Learn about your child’s interests. Talk to your child about them and listen. It will show your children that you care and that they are free to talk to you about their interests.
7. Discover Passion- Encourage your children to discover what they are passionate about. It may take a few tries along the way. Support them on their journey towards passion and urge them to keep going until they find out what it is.
8. Remain Positive- Maintain a positive and optimistic outlook for your children. If they see fear or doubt in your eyes, then they will likely lose self-confidence. Having a positive approach will lighten their entire outlook to a situation.
9. Peer Pressure- Occasionally, a little peer pressure is not a bad thing. It can push your kids to do better in school or in a sport because they want to keep up with their friends. However, watch for when the stress of peer pressure starts to become too much.
10. Excite Them- Excite your children about their goals and ambitions. Show that you are excited for them, too. The positive energy and adrenaline will push them to continue their hard work and be happy with their efforts.

Role of Teacher in Motivating Students

1. Give students a sense of control- While guidance from a teacher is important to keeping kids on task and motivated, allowing students to have some choice, and control over what happens in the classroom is actually one of the best ways to keep them engaged. For example, allowing students to choose the type of assignment they do or which problems to work on can give them a sense of control that may just motivate them to do more.
2. Define the objectives- It can be very frustrating for students to complete an assignment or even to behave in class if there aren’t clearly defined objectives. Students want and need to know what is expected of them in order to stay motivated to work. At the beginning of the year, lay out clear objectives, rules, and expectations of students so that there is no confusion and students have goals to work towards.
3. Create a threat-free environment- While students do need to understand that there are consequences to their actions, far more motivating for students than threats are positive reinforcements. When teachers create a safe, supportive environment for students, affirming their belief in a student’s abilities rather than laying out the consequences of not doing things, students are much more likely to get and stay motivated to do their work. At the end of the day, students will fulfill the expectations that the adults around them communicate, so focus on can, not can’t.
4. Change your scenery- A classroom is a great place for learning but sitting at a desk day in and day out can make school start to seem a bit dull for some students. To renew interest in the subject matter or just in learning in general, give your students a chance to get out of the classroom. Take field trips, bring in speakers, or even just head to the library for some research. The brain loves novelty and a new setting can be just what some students need to stay motivated to learn.
5. Offer varied experiences- Not all students will respond to lessons in the same way. For some, hands-on experiences may be the best. Others may love to read books quietly or to work in groups. In order to keep all students motivated, mix up your lessons so that students with different preferences will each get time focused on the things they like best. Doing so will help students stay engaged and pay attention.
6. Use positive competition- Competition in the classroom isn’t always a bad thing, and in some cases can motivate students to try harder and work to excel. Work to foster a friendly spirit of competition in your classroom, perhaps through group games related to the material or other opportunities for students to show off their knowledge.
7. Offer rewards- Everyone likes getting rewards, and offering your students the chance to earn them is an excellent source of motivation. Things like pizza parties, watching movies, or even something as simple as a sticker on a paper can make students work harder and really aim to achieve. Consider the personalities and needs of your students to determine appropriate rewards for your class.
8. Give students responsibility- Assigning students classroom jobs is a great way to build a community and to give students a sense of motivation. Most students will see classroom jobs as a privilege rather than a burden and will work hard to ensure that they, and other students are meeting expectations. It can also be useful to allow students to take turns leading activities or helping out so that each feels important and valued.

Important links

• Distance Learning: Concept and Types
• Bandura’s Social Learning Theory
• Theories of Intelligence- Factors Theories of Intelligence
• Juvenile Delinquency- Exceptional Children’s
• Scope and Utility of Distance Education
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Distance Education
• Graphs and Charts: Meaning and Type | Importance of Charts
• Barriers/ Obstacles of Effective Distance Education
• Glaser’s Basic Teaching Model

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