Singapore Schools & Institutions: 5 ways to motivate Students

A student may be unmotivated for many reasons. For instance, they may show no interest in the subject; find the teacher’s methods un-engaging; distract by external forces; a few have difficulty learning and need special attention. As a result, these students will not learn effectively. They will not retain information; and they won’t participate. Some of them may even become disruptive.

While it is hard to motivate students, the rewards are more than worth it. Motivated students are more excited to learn and participate. Teaching a class full of motivated students is enjoyable for teachers and students alike. Some students are self-motivated, with a natural love of learning. But even with the students who do not have this natural drive, a great teacher can make learning fun and inspire them to reach their full potential.

Here are five common steps to get your students excited about learning:

1. Encourage Students

Students look to teachers for approval and positive reinforcement, and are more likely to be enthusiastic about learning if the teachers recognize, respect and value their work. Encourage open communication and free thinking with your students to make them feel important. Be enthusiastic. Praise your students often. Recognize them for their contributions.

2. Get Them Involved

Involve students in the classroom encourages them and teach them responsibility. Make participating fun by giving each student a job to do. Give students the responsibility of tidying up or decorating the classroom. Assign a student to erase the blackboard or pass out materials. If you read in class, ask students to take turns reading sections out loud. Make students work in groups and assign each a task or role. Students subsequently feel a sense of ownership and accomplishment by active participation in class.

3. Offer Incentives

Set expectations and make reasonable demands encourage students to participate. Sometimes they need an extra push in the right direction. Offer students small incentives to make learning fun and motivates students to push themselves. Example of incentives include giving a special privilege to an exemplary student or to a class pizza party if the average test score rises. Students who receive the rewards feel a sense of accomplishment and encourage to work with a goal in mind.

4. Get Creative

Teach creativity through games and discussions instead of lectures. Encourage students to debate. Visual aids, like colorful charts, diagrams and videos enrich the subject matter. In addition, the suitable video effectively illustrates a topic or theme. Your physical classroom is never boring. Use for instance posters, models, student projects and seasonal themes to decorate your classroom, and create a warm, stimulating environment.

5. Draw Connections to Real Life

In Singapore, students of schools and institutions will not want to learn if they do not believe that what they learn is important. Therefore it is important to demonstrate how they relate to the subject. If you teach algebra, research how it is utilized practically for example, in engineering and share your findings with your students; Tell them that they may use it in their career. Show them that a subject is used everyday by “real” people gives it new importance. Though they may not be excited about algebra, but if they see how it applies to them, they may be motivated to learn attentively.