How to Maintain Student Motivation Throughout the Academic Year?

Posted by Tanya Sharma on October 31st, 2019

When starting an academic year, students come to school with the highest possible motivation as they remain excited with the possibility of learning something new. As time progresses and the students become acquainted with the new subjects and topics, their motivation levels start to dip as they lose all their initial enthusiasm. This particular trend is global. Students at all schools all over the world follow such a motivational curve and it becomes a real challenge for teachers to keep the excitement levels high throughout the entire academic year.

However, even when the task is complicated, it is definitely not impossible for expert teachers and with their expert tactics, the top school in Gurgaon 2019 succeeds in maintaining a decent motivation level among all its students. The initial peak is when the teachers have to work the least as the enthusiasm exists naturally. It is during the later months of an academic year when the following techniques can become handy.

1. Driving students towards a subject internally

Neuroscientists and psychologists categorise motivation into two types – intrinsic and extrinsic. If a student is told that she has to study mathematics as it is an important subject and a passing mark is necessary, the teacher is actually trying to motivate the student in an extrinsic manner by defining an external compulsory parameter. However, if the same student is shown how mathematical skills can help her in day-to-day life and she understands that it clears her thinking, she will internally feel motivated to study the subject. Intrinsic motivation has a greater impact than the extrinsic type and that is what teachers must look to inculcate among their students.

2. Connecting classroom topics to real-life examples

“What use will I ever have of this topic in my life?” is a common question that most students either ask their teachers, parents or often themselves. And when they do not receive a satisfactory answer, demotivation starts spreading its roots. Connecting academic topics to real-life examples can really elevate the whole lesson experience. When students see that the topic at hand has an actual use, they feel driven by their need-to-know emotion. A complicated economic model can soon become monotonous. But if the teacher successfully connects that model to some country applying the same in the real-world, motivation towards economics as a subject will immediately spike.

3. Breaking the monotony as time passes

Teachers also share the start-of-the-year enthusiasm of their students and often feel driven to expose their creative teaching techniques right at the beginning of the session. But, the faculty of the top institute stand out in the list of CBSE school in Gurgaon by spreading their innovation over the entire year. The conventional lecture method will work fine right at the beginning. As students become familiar with the subjects and their difficulty levels, that is when the video lessons, audiobooks, field trips, and so on can come in to mix things up and break the monotony. Teachers must move forward with the assumption that the students will get bored with just one or two types of lesson structure. Hence, they must be prepared with multiple plans in their arsenal.

4. Showing appreciation for students’ perseverance

Appreciation and motivation are tightly correlated. If a student does not receive her deserved appreciation, she will most definitely become demotivated. Teachers must maintain a keen sense of observation over the entire class and extend the due credit to students wherever possible. At times, it can be a personal note in their exam paper. During other times, the appreciation may come as a declaration in front of the entire class as to how well the student is doing in her efforts. By receiving a steady flow of acknowledgment, the student will self-fuel her motivation levels and persevere for greater goals in her education. Thus, it is primary that teachers find out the right ways to extend appreciation so as to ensure high motivation levels throughout the year.

And although it may seem that a major chunk of the responsibility lies with the teachers, the school also plays a crucial role in elevating student motivation. The Paras World School India follows a perfect model in this respect as the institute maintains the profile of a school mentor where Ms. Paramjit K. Narang brings in her treasured expertise. Along with school principal, Ms. Punam Singhal, she oversees teacher training, extends her guidance in lesson plans, and communicates with students directly to keep them driven. Ensuring an enthusiastic ambiance is a process and TPWSI understands that. So, research into the best school in Gurgaon with fee structure and pick one where motivation continuously flies in the air.