Invariably you hear others telling people what to do. A better approach would be asking "Why don't you..?" I believe most people already know what to do. If you ask a person on the street , they will give you all the right answers. Ask them are they doing it. Probably not. So what's missing is the motivation. Now the question is can we motivate people ? Answer is absolutely not. Why ?
We can inspire people to motivate themselves. Motivation is action. I can't act for you. You gotta act for yourself but inspiration is thinking.
When thinking changes, it starts reflecting in behavior. It's more lasting and prominent. That's what people are looking for. Aren't they ? It raises two major questions.
1) Why do people get demotivated ?
2) Who or what motivates the motivator ?
Till we understand what motivates the motivator, we cannot get the autopilot & unless we get an autopilot, how long can we expect others to push us from outside ? It doesn't work.
Intrinsic/Autonomous motivation is the desired type of motivation for study as it is associated with deep learning, better performance and positive well-being completing a skill or activity based on personal interest and enjoyment not for external rewards but because you find it interesting & deeply valuable for yourself. You are there completely because that’s what you want to do. It is dependent on the fulfillment of three basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness.
We don’t have to motivate them. We have to support them in their motivation.
Ways to cultivate intrinsic motivation in students:
- Begin by knowing how they see things. Identify and nurture what students need and want.The typical approach is I know how I see things & I use it on the kid. How about if you put that aside for the time being & ask them how do they see the situation. What as per them is important for them & once u know that , you can have so much better conversation in terms of trying to support them & move them forward with whatever we r trying to accomplish here.
- A Higher Purpose. Students who feel that they are working towards the greater good, or something larger than themselves, may have an easier time staying motivated.
- Model intrinsic behavior yourself. Educators’ demonstration of how they approach work, their expectations, values, and beliefs can be transmitted to students and facilitate their intrinsic motivation as we need to practice what we preach.
- Educate them on the cause-and-effect relationships between what they are doing and things that happen in real life : When you are working on a certain activity, explain to the student why you are doing that specific activity and how it will help him/her in their everyday life.
- Encourage students to compete against themselves. Just as a runner, jumper, or thrower not only competes against others but also tries to achieve a new personal record, intrinsically motivated students are always hoping to better themselves.
- Teach self direction: Everyone feels a larger sense of accomplishment when you are able to do something all by yourself.
- Let them take their own decisions : Obstacles will surely come in whatever we do but if we take our own decisions then we will carry it out with more conviction & we won’t blame anyone later on. It will build a sense of responsibility.
- Direct with ‘can, may, could’ instead of ‘must, need,should’ : Autonomy-supportive teaching behavior would entail the use of words like: ‘you can learn this’, ‘maybe you could do it in this way’, ‘it is your choice’, ‘if you study this, it will increase your understanding of related conditions’. Phrasing comments and suggestions in the right way, i.e. which is not binding on the students, but gives them the chance to decide for themselves (hence autonomous), is very effective in enhancing their intrinsic motivation.
- Provide choices: Children can be more intrinsically motivated if they have a say in how they are accomplishing a goal. Try not to make any activity a requirement.
- Visualize and Conquer. Have your students visualize a moment in their lives when they felt very proud of themselves for an accomplishment. Then let them loose on a task.
- Make every student feel effective & capable. This may be a simple point, but it’s surely one of the most important. Some students feel incapable of completing a task before they even try it. The power of “You can do it” has perhaps been diluted over the years. Try “You’re capable,” which speaks not only to the task at hand but to the student’s sense of self-worth.
- Cooperation : Intrinsic motivation can be increased in situations where students gain satisfaction from helping their peers .
- Help students trust themselves to succeed. When students trust themselves to succeed at a task, they are more likely to challenge themselves in other situations. Be sure to recognize student achievement in terms of personal worth and not just success on a particular assignment; this will encourage the student to carry that confidence into other learning situations.
- Connect games and learning. You’ll agree that learning is fun. That’s why you are a teacher! But how do you expect her to feel that special little thrill you feel when you sit down in front of your morning crossword or watch Jeopardy at night? The truth is, she does feel the thrill – when she gets a new personal best in the 800 meter dash. Try to connect her motivation on the track with her motivation in learning. Acing the test may not make her feel quite as good as winning the championship, but the two drives are related.
- Give emotional support : Create an environment of emotional support for the students which entails creating a warm, positive and sharing atmosphere where students feel safe to express their feelings, doubts and questions. Having positive interaction with the teacher is likely to make students more interested in the subject matter. Create an environment where they motivate themselves.
- Give constructive feedback : Provide them positive feedback in a precise kind of way like “ I really appreciate the great job that you just did.” Specifically say what it is. When something goes wrong, tell them how can they do it better the next time. Let’s learn from it.
- Be genuinely interested in them : Respect them , Relate to them as human beings, talk to them in a way they feel that “Oh, This person is really interested in me..” Build a sort of a relationship where they can trust you & come & talk to you.
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