Motivating Students
01, 8.1.2012
Lack of motivation and enthusiasm is common in classrooms over the world. While the cause of obvious symptoms like the utter lack of intrinsic motivation, to distractions, to decreased empathy quotient and extreme individualism, may lie in our changed family environments and values, learning is not being affected in the way it should. The collective results could be disastrous for the future.
These challenges must be met by changing our mindset. Teachers must be the change agents. They must acquire and update knowledge on a strong base of pedagogy and deliver it in context a relevant to their students. Teacher dispositions must improve very deliberately in order to ignite young minds. By "dispositions" we imply that intrinsic motivation must be fused with engagement with the school vision. Success must be redefined in order to inspire and motivate.
How can teachers and schools motivate? Experience demonstrates that the carrot and stick approach does not work. Nor does the principle of higher rewards for better performance. External motivation fails to motivate on a sustained level. The resultant use of short cuts and unethical behaviour are to be consciously avoided.
Intrinsic motivation within the student is a reflection of a teacher's disposition, which exemplifies intrinsic motivation within herself. The fountainhead of this is Purpose, the why of who we are and why we do what we do. It is the golden key to self-actualization or happiness.
The levels of purpose which a student cultivates through the reflection of a teacher's dispositions is: life, which transcends one's work and organization. The second level pertains to the profession, which transforms the child and the third level is the school, which prepares students for the life of an engaged citizen.
The all-important 5 Cs which prepare students to be engaged citizens are Character based values, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication which is convincing and persuasive.
Teachers must constantly revisit and re-examine the purpose of their consciously chosen profession. They have the formidable but rewarding task of transforming children they teach through their own sense of purpose and motivation. Whatever it takes, the path of mindfulness, meditation, reflection or even dissonance, the teacher of today is charged with the responsibility of finding the pathway to fulfill the purpose of her life.
Autonomy of task, team and time, a prime requisite of teacher motivation, must be fused with accountability. Schools must provide and support this autonomy.
Student-driven learning (through the new practice of flip teaching) aided by technology and the spirit of enquiry is bound to strengthen student motivation.
Collaborative learning feeds the desire to learn by contributing important inputs to a task, which in turn feeds motivation. Peer tutoring works the same way for students and affects their learning disposition in a positive way.
Re-examining the meaning of success, we conclude that it is ultimately the unfolding and realization of one's full potential. Once that is understood and grasped by teacher and taught, motivation will increase and progress will come about, in the measure required to meet the goals of success in every sphere of life.
(This is the essence of the message brought to newly elected Leaders of The Indus Student Council at Bangalore, by Lt. Gen. Arjun Ray (Retd.), CEO of the Indus Trust on the occasion of The Ceremony of Investiture on January 26th, 2012)
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Date: 04/25/2024