Aaron Carpenter's blog

Motivation is a fickle thing. Everyone knows what it is in a conceptual way, but when it comes to actually getting people interested, well, that’s the sticky part. The problem is that everyone is motivated in a different way, and this lack of a one-size-fits-all approach becomes readily apparent the instant one steps foot in a classroom. For the sake of discussion let’s center this little blog in the heart of academia, the college campus.

More often than not classrooms are populated with students who are there simply because they have to be there, not because they want to be there. Required classes, as a general rule, are not full of individuals who actually care about the material and the least they can get away with doing they will. So the problem lands on the teacher. How to motivate a room full of slackers?

Yes, we can use fear as a motivator. It’s been used by petty dictators over the centuries and it’s always failed in the long run. What we need is a more nuanced approach. Learning Design stresses the importance of creating content and an environment that is balanced and targeted for its intended audience. I believe what we need to do is remove some of the accepted throwbacks of the past era, like desks in rows. We need to get people talking again. We need to make students feel that they belong, they are more than just a number, and that we have their best interests at heart. We need to make it ok to be wrong. The best classes I ever had were those where everyone was in tune with the subject matter and cared.

It’s the job of the teacher to create this environment where learning is fostered and goals are clearly marked out. We need to make it clear to the student that they can’t afford to not hold up their end of the bargain. We need to set the bar higher than we think they can reach, so when they fail we’re happy with the results. If we can make them understand that there is a real reason for them to actually be there and care we’ll all be better off.