Setting realistic goals can motivate you or your students to reach success. Goals that seem unachievable are demotivating. Equally unhelpful is no plan at all. Instead, set short-term goals. If you need to write a paper, focus on the first section and then deal with the remainder of the assignment. Professors can split large assignments up into smaller sections and help students design a step-by-step plan for completing the assignment
Feedback is a tool that professors and assistants can use to motivate students, but it must be positive and constructive. Negative feedback demotivates. Feedback that is vague does not motivate a student because it does not tell him how to improve. Returning assignments and tests quickly and rewarding students with high scores and positive feedback motivates them to accomplish the next task. If you are a student, you can motivate yourself by acknowledging a job well done and giving yourself a reward. Take a short break, get a snack or do something positive every time you accomplish a goal.
It is easy for students to get bored working on long papers or engaging in lengthy study sessions. Even reviewing interesting material can get stale, and students lose motivation to stick with it. When this happens, change your approach. Try to accomplish a task in a new way or look at it from a different angle. This may also help if you feel stuck or frustrated. Sometimes you can think back to how you solved a similar problem or completed a similar assignment and then brainstorm a better way to address your current problem.
Analysis is a powerful tool for discovering what motivates you or your students. Ask your students what aspects of your class are motivating and which are less motivational or even demotivating. Students can use this technique to analyze all their classes. A teacher may discover he lacks enthusiasm or has assigned material that is either too challenging or too easy to motivate his students. Students may see that their professor does not give appropriate examples or that they are not involved enough in class. You can become more involved by asking questions and volunteering answers or ask for more relevant examples.
Professors should clearly tell their students what they need to do to perform well in the class. Make sure that your syllabus is clear about your grading policy, reading assignments and required papers. If you are a student and you are unsure what your professor wants, ask what he expects from you, either during class or office hours. When students know what to do they are more confident in their ability to succeed and motivated to try.