“Mr. V., we need a break. Can we have the day off?” This question came
from an alto sitting in the back of the room and was met with a few sympathetic
murmurs from other ladies in her section. To give context, often these types of
questions are asked just after school days have been shortened due to inclement
weather, I have been at a choral festival, we have upcoming shorten weeks and
our first choir festival/competition is in just a few weeks.
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To be
fair, all teachers are accustomed to similar scenarios. As we are all aware, our profession
frequently requires that we be flexible.
It is a bit delusional to create long-term plans under the assumptions
of uninterrupted class time and optimal student attendance. Nevertheless, the minutes we spend with our
students are priceless, and we are unwilling to surrender any more of them
than necessary.
Even so,
many of our students are indifferent to the urgency of our
circumstances. Ultimately, no matter
how competently a teacher presents curriculum, the learner outcome will
rarely meet or exceed expectations if the student is not invested. Therefore, if I must, I can drag you
kicking and screaming to competence, but you must have the desire to achieve
excellence.
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Here are five factors to consider that
have an effect on student motivation:
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1
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As
difficult as this can be to remember, the classes we teach are not the only
classes in the school.
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2
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We all
enjoy the subject we have chosen to teach.
The majority of my students are typically more aware of the artistic
ideals associated with Adele or Ed Sheeran than those of the Mormon
Tabernacle Choir. For this reason,
it is crucial to implement strategies that engage students in various
dialogues and scenarios that increase student understanding. By and large, students are more willing
to seek an aesthetic they have connected with ownership.
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3
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If
students are only aware of long-term goals, they may not be motivated to
meet those goals, especially if they believe them to be impossible. Perhaps a more effective solution would
be to set short-term goals. These
types of goals set the stage for high student morale.
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4
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One of
the greatest obstacles we face is the “Old-Time Religion Syndrome.” To
borrow a line from the spiritual, “It was good for my grandmother; it’s
good for me.” No matter the assessment type, students assume the
responsibility to recall the lessons and objectives they have learned in
class. Parents and grandparents that
observe their student’s classroom performance often praise the child, the
classroom, the administrators, and the school district, but this praise
shouldn’t be the sole standard to which we aspire.
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5
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When we
encounter students who do not desire excellence for themselves and are not
interested in being embarrassed by poor performance, we should take a step
back and realize that this student can still achieve excellence. It is imperative that no attempt be made
to shame a child into mastery of standards; this will never work. Instead increase positivity, decrease
negativity, and observe the improvement in the classroom.
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How often
do we forget that just as our stress can be transferred to our students, so,
too, can our motivation? Do you enjoy
teaching your subject(s) of expertise? I hope so. Our students should be able to know from
observing us that we enjoy working with them and that we’re giving them the
best we have to offer. External
factors can drag us kicking and screaming to competence, but a true educator
strives for excellence.
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