A student’s motivation can come from within. This "intrinsic" motivation is best because it is always available to a student. For instance, a student may be motivated to perform well in order to be admitted to a top-rated university. Intrinsic motivation also tends to make students feel better about themselves, which in turn motivates them to undertake further activities.
If a student’s motivation does not come from within, the next-best option is for a teacher to provide motivation. This "extrinsic" motivation, if not backed by internal motivation, is likely to have only a short-term effect on student behavior.
Teachers can motivate students by using incentives. The student tries to perform well to get the incentives. The incentive should be suitable for the student’s age. Teachers can use incentives to reward students who behave in a suitable manner and deny the incentives to those whose behavior is not suitable. For instance, the teacher could host a pizza party or otherwise reward students who consistently perform well academically.
Teachers can also threaten students with a number of consequences if they don’t behave appropriately. For instance, a teacher could cut down a student’s recreation time, make her stay in detention after school, or have her suspended from school. In some situations, the teacher may even have the student moved to a different school.