When students feel a connection with their teacher, it can make all the difference in how they behave and the interest level they show in class. Teachers should let the students get to know know them on a personal level by sharing family pictures, stories about hobbies or other information that is of interest to them. According to the Center on Education Policy, teachers can also increase motivation by encouraging parental involvement. Making contact with parents with an introduction or sending home a note to compliment their child can make a parent more responsive.
Teachers should show their excitement and passion for the subject matter. Students often want to know why the material is relevant to them, so including real-world examples of application might increase their interest and motivation to learn. Angela McRae and John T. Guthrie, of the Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction program, state that this is especially true in reading activities. In their article "Teacher Practices that Impact Reading Motivation," they state that teachers encourage intrinsic motivation in students when tasks are relevant to students' lives.
Students will be more motivated to complete assignments if they are both challenging and engaging. An article called "Speaking of Teaching," published by Stanford University, notes that students become motivated when they believe in themselves and are confident in their skills. Teachers can help students foster this belief through setting high, but attainable, expectations for their work. Giving students choice also increases motivation. For example, if you ask students to analyze a story, give them the option of writing an essay or creating a piece of artwork. Choice gives students more ownership in the lesson and a creates a higher level of engagement.
The article "Speaking of Teaching" also mentions frequent feedback as a way to increase student motivation. Teachers can do this in many ways: comments on graded work, class or parent newsletters, sharing good work with the class or student conferences. Students want to know that their efforts are being recognized and appreciated. Feedback works both ways, and asking students to share their thoughts or opinions about the class, a lesson or an assignment can also make students feel like the teacher shares an interest in their learning.
Sometimes, no matter how engaging the instruction or the teacher is, students might not respond. In some cases, there might deeper issue that is affecting the student in the classroom. Getting to know students on a personal level can be helpful, as can taking an interest in their hobbies or other ways to show that you care. Encourage them to keep trying and seek help from other school staff, such as counselors, when needed.