“Every student comes to school motivated to do something.” What are you thoughts on the previous comment? What percentage of your job, in your opinion, is motivating students? Teaching content? Explain.
It does seem that some student's are not coming to school motivated to learn. They are here to be social, or maybe because this is where the food is for the day. Once they are here though, it is a teacher's responsibility to offer lessons that will be engaging and challenging. Then it falls back to the students to accept that challenge. I feel like I teach content most of the time, but I realize that I am able to teach an elective that offers hands-on experiences to those students who may struggle with academics.
I agree. Students don't want to do something they struggle at - Can we blame them? We didn't become teachers because we were bad at teaching?!?!?! However, we don't have the luxury of always letting them do things they are good at - nor should we always let them. We all need to experience some academic discomfort. I have struggled with how to answer the percentage motivating students versus teaching content question. I'm not sure I know the answer. And if you ever had me as a student, you know that's bothering me a little bit.
I think it is so important to let the student's know my excitement for each lesson I teach them. I make it relevant to them. I give personal accounts of where they may use this information and jump around the room to keep them motivated. A motivated teacher is contagious. Students respond best to enthusiastic, highly motivated teachers. It's up to us to do this.
My job is to motivate students to read good books. I also try to motivate good readers to read books outside their comfort zone. I find I have the most success by helping students one-to-one and when one student likes a particular book, author, series, or genre they tend to encourage their friends to read them. Sometimes I do have to explain to students the reasons some books are not included in a middle school collection, and they usually agree that what they may like to read is not appropriate in a school setting, but belong either at the high school or public library.
No matter how much you try there is always going to be that one student that you just can't motivate. Most, however, want to be in our classrooms and buy into what we teach them. The proof is in their state assessment scores. I teach students things that they can apply to their everyday life. I think one of my biggest jobs is to show them how this information relates to them. I feel that sometimes I motivate them by being in awe of the things that I teach to them. I learn something new everyday!
Wow, what a question. I feel I spend a large percentage, maybe about 60% of my efforts motivating my students. This is probably different for me than for other teachers, since I have the students that struggle and typically are not as motivated because school has been and is harder for them. The other 40% would be the teaching content. Someone can teach content, but if the students aren't motivated to learn it and see how it can be used, then that is wasting their time and the teacher's time.
Motivating "all" students is a tough job but can be done, maybe just not all at the same time! It is my job to make my lessons and my classroom a place of excitement for my students. Somewhere they want to come to learn. Keyboarding is not motivating but teaching them how keyboarding will help them in the future with whatever job or profession they choose, is. Watching their eyes light up or hearing the cheers or shrills of excitement when they pass the next level or show an improvement is motivating to them and to me.
I think there are students who come to school who are not motivated. I also believe there are students who come to school motivated to do many different things: food, friends, to learn, to socialize. I think our number one job is to teach our content to our students. I think it is also our job to make our content look appealing to students. I would say twenty to thirty percent of our job is motivating students. The higher the grade level, the more motivation is needed.
I definitely need to focus some of my classroom time on motivating students. With such an emphasis on content, I have let this aspect slip, when it probably is as important or more important than content.
“Every student comes to school motivated to do something.” What are you thoughts on the previous comment? What percentage of your job, in your opinion, is motivating students? Teaching content? Explain.
Most students enjoy coming to school. They get to see their friends, they enjoy visiting at lunch, maybe challenging their peers during sports. I believe most of them also enjoy learning and growing academically. They understand the need and see the advantage of earning a high school degree and beyond. I'm not sure they would readily admit to this, but I believe they understand the reasons for attending school. It is our job as teachers to make this as enjoyable a process as possible for everyone! As far as a percent...I'm not sure. Motivation and content varies from class to class and by student to student. Some classes and individuals take more motivation than others.
Expect Success!!! This school motto says it all. All students who come to school have a right to expect some degree of success in what we ask them to do. Success in itself is motivating...
They may not all be motivated to the same extent when they enter the front door, but it is the teacher's job to be enthusiastic and creative with their content to inspire them want to learn.It is the teacher's job to help each and every student experience some degree of success.
I became a teacher so that I could see the glimmer of understanding in a student's eyes. This motivates me.
I know that science isn't every students favorite subject but I try to make what we learn relevant to their own lives. I try to include examples of things in their life that they can relate the topic to. I begin the year by letting the students know that we are going to exercise their brains to prepare them for their high school careers, I do get groans but when I include the relevant pieces it helps those students who aren't really motivated scientifically.
We would like to think our students come to school motivated to see us and to learn everything we want. Unfortunately some students are hard to motivate. I think if the lessons are challenging and the teacher is motivated, the students feel more motivated. The student who is not motivated in school challenges the teacher to find some spark to get him or her moving. Students have many things that motivate them at school so as teachers we need a reason for the students to be motivated in our individual classrooms. The idea of needing an education in order to go to college or to get a job may or may not be a good reason for some students to become motivated in middle school. I tell my students why they are learning this material and when they will apply it. Finding the motivation button for some students will always be a teacher's concern.
Some students seem to have very little extrinsic motivation when they come to school. As a classroom teacher, I try to give them something interesting to look forward to. If there is something they are interested in, they may show more desire to be involved. Keeping things interesting in the classroom raises the chance that those unmotivated students will develop some desire to participate and gain knowledge. Simply looking at them as a lost cause and not making an attempt will definitely not foster any desire to learn.
It does seem that some student's are not coming to school motivated to learn. They are here to be social, or maybe because this is where the food is for the day. Once they are here though, it is a teacher's responsibility to offer lessons that will be engaging and challenging. Then it falls back to the students to accept that challenge. I feel like I teach content most of the time, but I realize that I am able to teach an elective that offers hands-on experiences to those students who may struggle with academics.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Students don't want to do something they struggle at - Can we blame them? We didn't become teachers because we were bad at teaching?!?!?! However, we don't have the luxury of always letting them do things they are good at - nor should we always let them. We all need to experience some academic discomfort.
ReplyDeleteI have struggled with how to answer the percentage motivating students versus teaching content question. I'm not sure I know the answer. And if you ever had me as a student, you know that's bothering me a little bit.
I think it is so important to let the student's know my excitement for each lesson I teach them. I make it relevant to them. I give personal accounts of where they may use this information and jump around the room to keep them motivated. A motivated teacher is contagious. Students respond best to enthusiastic, highly motivated teachers. It's up to us to do this.
ReplyDeleteMy job is to motivate students to read good books. I also try to motivate good readers to read books outside their comfort zone. I find I have the most success by helping students one-to-one and when one student likes a particular book, author, series, or genre they tend to encourage their friends to read them. Sometimes I do have to explain to students the reasons some books are not included in a middle school collection, and they usually agree that what they may like to read is not appropriate in a school setting, but belong either at the high school or public library.
ReplyDeleteNo matter how much you try there is always going to be that one student that you just can't motivate. Most, however, want to be in our classrooms and buy into what we teach them. The proof is in their state assessment scores. I teach students things that they can apply to their everyday life. I think one of my biggest jobs is to show them how this information relates to them. I feel that sometimes I motivate them by being in awe of the things that I teach to them. I learn something new everyday!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a question. I feel I spend a large percentage, maybe about 60% of my efforts motivating my students. This is probably different for me than for other teachers, since I have the students that struggle and typically are not as motivated because school has been and is harder for them. The other 40% would be the teaching content. Someone can teach content, but if the students aren't motivated to learn it and see how it can be used, then that is wasting their time and the teacher's time.
ReplyDeleteMotivating "all" students is a tough job but can be done, maybe just not all at the same time! It is my job to make my lessons and my classroom a place of excitement for my students. Somewhere they want to come to learn. Keyboarding is not motivating but teaching them how keyboarding will help them in the future with whatever job or profession they choose, is. Watching their eyes light up or hearing the cheers or shrills of excitement when they pass the next level or show an improvement is motivating to them and to me.
ReplyDeleteI think there are students who come to school who are not motivated. I also believe there are students who come to school motivated to do many different things: food, friends, to learn, to socialize. I think our number one job is to teach our content to our students. I think it is also our job to make our content look appealing to students. I would say twenty to thirty percent of our job is motivating students. The higher the grade level, the more motivation is needed.
ReplyDeleteI definitely need to focus some of my classroom time on motivating students. With such an emphasis on content, I have let this aspect slip, when it probably is as important or more important than content.
ReplyDelete“Every student comes to school motivated to do something.” What are you thoughts on the previous comment? What percentage of your job, in your opinion, is motivating students? Teaching content? Explain.
ReplyDeleteMost students enjoy coming to school. They get to see their friends, they enjoy visiting at lunch, maybe challenging their peers during sports. I believe most of them also enjoy learning and growing academically. They understand the need and see the advantage of earning a high school degree and beyond. I'm not sure they would readily admit to this, but I believe they understand the reasons for attending school. It is our job as teachers to make this as enjoyable a process as possible for everyone! As far as a percent...I'm not sure. Motivation and content varies from class to class and by student to student. Some classes and individuals take more motivation than others.
Expect Success!!! This school motto says it all. All students who come to school have a right to expect some degree of success in what we ask them to do. Success in itself is motivating...
ReplyDeleteThey may not all be motivated to the same extent when they enter the front door, but it is the teacher's job to be enthusiastic and creative with their content to inspire them want to learn.It is the teacher's job to help each and every student experience some degree of success.
I became a teacher so that I could see the glimmer of understanding in a student's eyes. This motivates me.
I know that science isn't every students favorite subject but I try to make what we learn relevant to their own lives. I try to include examples of things in their life that they can relate the topic to. I begin the year by letting the students know that we are going to exercise their brains to prepare them for their high school careers, I do get groans but when I include the relevant pieces it helps those students who aren't really motivated scientifically.
ReplyDeleteWe would like to think our students come to school motivated to see us and to learn everything we want. Unfortunately some students are hard to motivate. I think if the lessons are challenging and the teacher is motivated, the students feel more motivated. The student who is not motivated in school challenges the teacher to find some spark to get him or her moving. Students have many things that motivate them at school so as teachers we need a reason for the students to be motivated in our individual classrooms. The idea of needing an education in order to go to college or to get a job may or may not be a good reason for some students to become motivated in middle school. I tell my students why they are learning this material and when they will apply it. Finding the motivation button for some students will always be a teacher's concern.
ReplyDeleteSome students seem to have very little extrinsic motivation when they come to school. As a classroom teacher, I try to give them something interesting to look forward to. If there is something they are interested in, they may show more desire to be involved. Keeping things interesting in the classroom raises the chance that those unmotivated students will develop some desire to participate and gain knowledge. Simply looking at them as a lost cause and not making an attempt will definitely not foster any desire to learn.
ReplyDelete