Speaker 1: How can teachers motivate their students? One of the biggest challenges in the classroom is improving student motivation. Next, I will share 20 ways that teachers can motivate their learners. Number one, growth mindset. Set achievable goals for your students. Nurture a belief that they will improve. Professor Carol Dweck argues that all people have either one of two mindsets, a fixed mindset that they are born with certain abilities and can't improve, and a growth mindset that believes that anyone can get better at something if they apply themselves through hard work. We as teachers need to break down the fixed mindsets that some of our students might have and turn them into growth mindsets. One way we can do this is by giving them positive and useful feedback and fostering the idea that they can get better at anything they set their minds to. Two, improve rapport and build relationships. Get to know each student on a personal level. Use their names often. Ask them about their interests and lives. Learn their hopes and their dreams. They will see you care and work harder for you. Remember to smile. Three, cultivate a positive environment. They need to feel heard and respected. Provide constructive feedback. Grow a community of learners that are willing to take risks. When teachers create a safe, supportive environment for students, affirming their belief in a student's abilities rather than laying out consequences of not doing things, students are much more likely to get and stay motivated to do their best. Four, high expectations and clear goals. Be flexible but allow students to reach their fullest potential. Set daily learning goals. Expectations should be transparent. Students should know exactly what is expected of them and how to get there. 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. Five, inspire with engaging lessons. Put excitement into your speech. Use stories. Vary your pitch, volume and rate. Ask questions during class to keep students engaged. Remember to share lots of examples. Six, rewards and recognition. Give out stars, a pizza party, watch a movie, create a wall of winners, give out candy. Everyone likes receiving rewards and offering your students the chance to earn them is an excellent source of motivation. Even something as simple as a sticker on a paper can make students put more effort into their work. Don't overdo rewards and make it the focus of class. That way it becomes an expectation instead of a treat. Seven, allow students options. Self-controlled learning allows students some choice and control over what happens in the classroom. They have a say in topics and activities in class. 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 motivate them to do more. Eight, offer variation. Vary teaching styles and activities. Vary instructional strategies, lectures, demonstrations, discussions, case studies. Each student learns differently and should have a variety of projects and activities to pique their interests. Positive competition. Put up student work around class. Get them to compete with their friends to see who's the best. Work to foster a friendly spirit of competition, perhaps through group games related to the material or other opportunities for students to show off their knowledge or skills. Ten, group work. Use collaboration. Try problem-based learning in small groups to determine solutions to problems. Many students learn better in a group environment. Eleven, praise. Remember to praise effort, not intelligence. We underestimate how hungry our students are for praise. Don't only praise the best and the underperforming students, praise the ones in the middle too. Twelve, encourage self-reflection. If they have a diary or a way to monitor their growth, they will feel more inspired through their progress. Provide formative assessments so students can see that they are meeting their learning goals. This can be done through assessments like exit tickets. I am able to. I know. Thirteen, model enthusiasm for learning. If you aren't excited about the topic, why would they be? Be an inspirational figure in your students' lives. Inspirational teachers represent success in their students. It might be with your achievements, your personality, your ethic, and hard work towards future goals. Your passion for your subject is contagious to your students. They are more likely to love a subject if their teacher displays a real passion for it. Fourteen, apply student interests. Hobbies, interests, no matter what the subject covered, find ways to make the material fun and exciting for your students. Facilitate student activities that give insight into their interests, backgrounds, and future goals. Fifteen, student mastery. The teacher shouldn't be the only holder of knowledge. Students should be active participants and take responsibility to search and share their own information. Use words like we and our instead of I and you. Sixteen, make things fun. Use games and fun activities rather than lectures. Grab their attention with stimulating music and hands-on activities. Seventeen, share their experiences. If students feel like their experiences are valued, they will work harder in class to share their ideas and feelings with the class. They all have different thought processes and can learn from each other. Eighteen, give them responsibility. Get them involved. Give them a job to do. It gives them a sense of ownership over what they're learning and that will give them motivation to study harder. Nineteen, real life situations. Draw connections to real life. Use technology and their experiences to fuel your lessons to reach the necessary outcomes. Twenty, provide opportunities for success. Raise their confidence by giving them objectives to achieve. Start by giving them easy goals, then systematically increase the difficulty to help them gain confidence and competence. Students, even the best ones, can become frustrated and demotivated when they feel like they're struggling or not getting the recognition that other students are. Make sure that all students get a chance to play to their strengths and feel included and valued. Motivating students is one of the main responsibilities of teachers. Please share this video with other teachers that struggle with motivating their classes. If you want more tips and resources to improve your teaching, check out this next video.