Increasing Student Motivation: Leadership Principles in the Classroom

Increasing student motivation and classroom management are the most important and most difficult aspects of teaching.

Remember your first year teaching when you wanted to ram a pencil through that kid's eye who sat three rows back? Every morning you prayed he would get sick, wreck his car, or die a horrible death, but it never happened. Then one day you lost it and yelled at the entire class Although they shut up for a couple minutes, they renewed their assault on your sanity the very next day.

Eventually we all learn how to manage classroom behavior without making idle threats and uttering imprecations under our breath. We find that love mixed with discipline works better than throwing a book against the wall. We discover clear expectations more effective than handing out eight weeks of detention. We stop increasing student detentions and start increasing student motivation.

In short, we evolve from teachers to leaders.

Increasing student motivation begins with positive communication.

Let the Student Save Face – The worst thing a coach, teacher, administrator or advisor can do is humiliate a student. As a coach, whenever I removed a player from the starting lineup, I addressed the importance of coming off the bench and providing a spark. If a student answers a question incorrectly, I simply thank him for the answer and remark that the answer is not exactly what I was looking for. If I discipline a student in front of the class (something I try to avoid), I soon follow it up with a remark that demonstrates I'm condemning the action and not the actor. For example, "Just because you're my favorite student doesn't mean you don't have to follow the rules."

Praise the Slightest Improvement – Never forget that learning is a process. Look for excuses to give praise instead of criticism. Handing back assignments provides an excellent opportunity to praise a student. Phrases such as, “I loved your answer to number 2,” or “Hey, good job on these problems” make a huge difference. For a coach, cheering a good play in practice or thanking a player who works extra hard produces more results than shouting criticisms.

Give the Student a Fine Reputation to Live up to – Once again, remain positive even when the urge to condemn is present. The simple phrase, “we can do better than this, can’t we?” motivates students and players. When addressing individuals, bring up a time he or she excelled and mention how you want to see that again. My favorite is to mention that someone else told me how good you were at _______.

Make the Fault Seem Easy to Correct – Downplay the difficulty of overcoming faults. Telling a student he or she is dumb or an athlete that he or she is a klutz and you demotivate. I had a player who kept missing layups at key moments of basketball games. His teammates referred to him as a choker. I called him in and nonchalantly alluded to the fact that he had a natural ability to get to the basket at crucial moments and that those shots would start falling, and they did.