Motivating Today’s Students
By: Dr. Don Wells
February 26, 2007
Motivating students has posed a concern for parents and educators since the dawn of formalized learning. Today’s students are no less motivated than yesterday’s. In fact, with the new strategies and techniques available today, schools are doing a better job than ever before.
There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to motivation because each child learns in a different way. Therefore, we must first determine the interest of the students and persons involved. Everyone possesses different dimensions of intelligence or aptitudes. Some individuals have a greater aptitude for logic, excelling in math, while others have a greater ability to use language as do poets, writers or public speakers. The gift of musical intelligence expresses itself in the ability to read music and play instruments well. Architects and graphic artists have greater spatial intelligence, while athletes and dancers have higher kinesthetic intelligence. Children, like adults, can be blessed with varying degrees of intelligence.
Besides needing to identify individual aptitudes or dimensions of intelligence, we also must recognize that all children learn at different rates and in different ways. Some children assimilate information more easily when it is presented visually. Others learn more easily when they hear a lesson repeatedly. Yet, other children benefit from a hands-on approach. Just as with multiple aptitudes, differences in learning styles mean that students may also need to assimilate information in more than one way. This is why teachers today present information in a multi-method approach. It’s easy to see why a one-size-fits-all approach just won’t work.
Another universally accepted approach to motivating students is encouragement. Educators recognize the need to make students feel worthwhile. It is important to let them know that they can succeed if they try. Failure should not be feared as it can be a powerful tool to gain future success. Children are reassured when we acknowledge their successes, no matter how small. Encouragement is a strong internal motivator.
The key to children’s achieving success in school is motivation. That’s why the more we know about what motivates them, the better we will be able to stimulate their interest in learning.
