3 New Strategies to Keep Students Engaged and Motivated

They develop calendars, lesson plans, and curriculum schedules to ensure the entire syllabus is covered. Then they give assessments and track student progress.

But after all this hard work, students still fail their exams, and teachers are left to wonder what went wrong.

The main challenge lies in the fact that students are simply not motivated to put in the work.

As the Chinese proverb says, “Teachers can open the door, but you must enter it yourself.”

So, to achieve the desired school outcomes, students must stay motivated.

However, traditional ways of staying motivated, such as giving rewards, last only as far as the next big challenge. So, teachers need to stay on top of their motivational game.

Here are some new strategies that teachers can use.

1- Promote a Positive Mindset

Promoting a positive mindset will create a cycle of positivity that spurs learners to achieve better outcomes.

This is based on the intuitive philosophy that says, positivity begets positive outcomes while negativity does the opposite.

Having a positive frame of mind creates a growth mindset where the individual believes that all abilities, capabilities, and talents can be nurtured, cultivated, and refined by working hard.

With a positive mindset, students start to enjoy challenges and look at difficulties as a step in the growth process.

In contrast, if students are fixated on negative thought patterns, they would rather withdraw than apply themselves, especially when faced with challenges.

This table below contrasts the growth vs. negative attitude.

• Growth Mindset

• Results in cycle of positivity

• Empowering beliefs

• Balanced emotional responses

• Challenges are driving forces

• Easily bounce back after failure

• Negative Mindset

• Causes cycle of negativity

• Limiting beliefs

• Lack of emotional control

• Easily give up

• Shut down if they fail

Teachers can instill positive, growth-focused thought patterns through the following methods:

Effort-based Positive Feedback

Praise students for making efforts rather than for results. Instead of acknowledging only those who come out on top, take time to recognize every attempt at making improvements. For instance:

• “The practice you’ve been putting into your reading is really paying off.”
• “I can tell you’ve been doing your times tables at home; good effort.”

By praising effort rather than ability, you reinforce a positive mindset that recognizes that working hard can produce results.

Avoid expressly praising abilities, as this creates a negative cycle of failure. If learners believe that they either have the ability or they don’t, they’ll simply stop trying.

Modeling a Positive Mindset

Model positivity in the way you conduct yourself and run the classroom. For instance:

• Using positive methods to enforce classroom rules

• Treating students in the way you want them to treat each other; avoid scolding or shaming instead be fair; show empathy and kindness

• Practicing positive actions, such as resting, setting goals, and admitting your mistakes

• Setting clear rules and behavior guidelines together with the students and sticking to them

It also helps to create an anonymous feedback channel where students can comment on your performance.

Take this feedback seriously and follow through by adjusting where necessary. By doing so, you will show students that learning is a lifelong process, which they must never be afraid to embrace.

2- Deepen Your Relationships With Students

Having meaningful relationships with your learners allows you to tailor your motivational efforts to the different needs of your students.

For instance, praising a student in front of the entire class may work for some, but may demoralize those that don’t do well in front of crowds; so you need to know your learners.

Find out as many details as possible about each learner—such as their families, hobbies, friends, and where they live.

You’ll also show learners that you care for them as individuals. This will make them feel good about themselves and inspire them to remain positive and put in the hard work.

It’s impractical to have regular one-on-one sessions with all learners, plus some may not be comfortable sharing with you. So, here’s a table showing different activities you can incorporate into your regular routines to get to know your learners.

• Activity

• Good news session

• Action Plan

• Five minutes before lessons for anyone to share exciting news like a new baby or pet at home

• Activity

• Birthdays

• Action Plan

• Keep track of learners' birthdays and make a big deal about it

• Invite the student to say one dream or future goal on their big day

• Activity

• Goal sharing

• Action Plan

• Give students a questionnaire to fill out their hopes and dreams

• Activity

• “All about us” board

• Action Plan

• Create a bulletin board where students can add their personal artifacts or stories

• Activity

• Test your knowledge

• Action Plan-

• Test yourself on how well you know your students and make it a point to improve

It’s also important to create an environment where learners feel like part of a community. The classroom should be a safe space where learners can take risks and apply themselves without fear of being ridiculed or ignored.

Instill an attitude of cooperation where learners:

• Realize that they have a common goal and their success is tied to each other
• Work together and assist each other to reach their collective goals

In a cooperative classroom, struggling with work isn’t viewed as a failure but rather a normal part of learning, which doesn’t attract shaming.

Here are some ways you can foster a cooperative spirit among your students:

• Group assessments, quizzes, and tests
• Group work and peer-to-peer teaching
• Avoiding the lecture method in favor of group activities
• Displaying student work on a rotational basis
• Using cooperative language such as “we” and “us” when referring to the class rather than the individualistic, “you” or “I”

When students actively and collectively participate in their learning, they share ideas and open the floor for asking questions. This promotes a deeper understanding of the coursework and improves their problem-solving abilities.

3 - Set High but Realistic Expectations

When the bar is set high enough, students put their all into rising to meet those targets. That said, it’s critical that your expectations be realistic. If your targets are excessive, they will demoralize learners.

It’s also critical for learners to know they have your full support so that even when they struggle, they remain positive that the target is still within reach.

In addition, all goals should be straightforward and broken down into step-by-step objectives. When students work towards daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly targets, they get a sense of purpose without being overwhelmed.

Make all expectations clear, including:

• Academic grades
• Group work expectations
• How students are supposed to interact

With transparent goals, students know what to do, and this keeps them on track.

Consider establishing a goal planner and tracking system for students to assess themselves on a regular basis.

Also, share relatable success stories from your own experiences or celebrities to inspire and challenge students. You can also invite successful community members to share what they’ve gone through to get to where they are.

By learning from other people's victories, your learners’ minds become open to the possibility of their own success. They’ll begin to model their own choices, behaviors, and sacrifices, such as hard work and learning from mistakes that resulted in those triumphs.

Bringing Success in the Classroom Through Positive Mindsets

Motivation has to be an ongoing exercise to achieve results.

Renowned motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar says, “People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing, that's why we recommend it daily.”

You have to stay consistent and patient to change mindsets and create a conducive classroom culture.

This is where Positive Action can step in to help.

Positive Action is a proven curriculum for social-emotional learning that offers a holistic approach to fundamentally influencing student thoughts, actions, and feelings for the better.

The program focuses on developing a positive mindset that keeps learners motivated to achieve better outcomes through:

• Identifying self-concept
• Doing positive actions to keep the body and mind healthy
• Managing yourself responsibly
• Treating others the way you’d like to be treated
• Being honest with yourself
• Continuous self-improvement

By incorporating the Positive Action way in your school, students learn how to become motivated and stay engaged, resulting in improved school outcomes, as evidenced by numerous studies.

Get in touch with us and let us help you implement Positive Action to keep your students positive, engaged, and ready to learn.

“Very grateful for these Positive Action lessons. They fulfill a need that so many children are lacking in the educational process today.”

— Linda Davis, 2nd Grade Teacher, Davis Elementary