Introduction
Motivation can be described as a form of altering human behavior, so as to improve the attainment of set goals or the attainment of the desired character. There are two types of motivation; intrinsic and extrinsic; where intrinsic motivation is initiated by the person while extrinsic is from outside. Under normal conditions; a man can not work optimally and efficiently without changing his behavior and that is why motivation in most cases is done through the giving of rewards, setting a good working environment, and also giving adequate knowledge regarding the task to be performed. In this case, high school students can not learn efficiently without motivation (McClelland, 1988).
Discussion
There are many ways of motivating high school students to complete their classes successfully; first and foremost is through ensuring that students are in the best learning environment. In this case, learners should be familiarized with the school environment in the first days or weeks, after they report to the school. This is through making thorough orientation to the students such that; they will feel comfortable within the new environment.
Another consideration is that most of the primary school students don’t have the chance to visit high schools till they complete their course; which is why under this scenario most of the students find themselves totally not at ease with their new environment. Further, the orientation of students around the school is very essential, as it helps make them familiar with the school’s facilities which reduces the levels of confusion of any nature; which the students may experience within the school. This is the case because; by so doing students will know which areas are out of bounds, and also be conversant with the location of different school facilities like libraries (McClelland, 1988).
Teacher- learner relationship is very essential in ensuring high school students complete their classes successfully. The teachers should first familiarize themselves with students; which can be achieved through teachers telling their names and their different areas of specialization. As a result; this will make the student’s life in school become more comfortable since they will know where to seek assistance in the case of need. Teachers should also take time to know their students’ names, their different abilities, and also the behaviors of the different learners (Shcunk, 2007).
This is the case because, knowing the learners well can be a way of motivation, which will be possible since the teacher will practice the best ways of addressing issues and also the best ways of delivering knowledge to the learners. Knowledge of learners’ abilities helps will help the teacher to derive ways to address the student’s dissimilar problems. In this case, the teacher will be able to apply his expertise knowledge in addressing the problems of bright learners and those of slow learners.
With the absence of student knowledge, a teacher may find himself in wrangles with students, for instance, bright students are usually naughty, thus the teacher should know how to accommodate them within the class. Having special classes for slow learners is also a very effective method of motivating them. The knowledge about learners can also be used in formability groupings, where students are grouped according to their varied capabilities (Shcunk, 2007).
Teachers can further motivate high school students by applying the best evaluation skills. The teacher should in this case know how to balance; technical questions and the use of application questions; as well as applying both open book and closed book forms of testing students. This is the case because the examination and evaluation skills help the teacher to accommodate the different learners’ abilities. During class, it’s also good for a teacher to give simple and short questions to motivate learners; where the use of easy questions will help learners realize that they have gained some knowledge and hence prepare them for more technical engagements (Shcunk, 2007).
The motivation of high school students to complete their classes successfully can also be done through the use of reinforcements. Reinforcements in the class can either be verbal, material, or in a monetary form. The teacher should use positive remarks to motivate students who perform well in class; for instance saying well done, good attempt, excellent, and keep up among others. The giving of material rewards like; stationery and uniforms is also a very good method of motivating high school students. Monetary rewards can also be used to encourage students whereby students, who reach certain targets are rewarded, for example, those who attain the best positions in class or good marks in examinations are rewarded (Shrunk, 2007).
Giving guidance and counseling is also a very essential as a way of motivating high school students. In this case, the school counselor can help solve students’ problems thus making the learners fit the learning activities. This is because in this case, the counselor further guides the students on the importance of education and also the importance of being obedient. This is the case because; when the students have received full knowledge on the importance of education they will feel motivated thus have perseverance in their studies (Shcunk, 2007).
Teachers can also motivate high school students by sharing in their own experience or giving examples of heroes and dignified people; that have persevered in education and thus enjoyed in the present. This will be helpful because it will make the importance of education more realistic; thus making it look more meaningful to guide students on the benefits of successfully completing their studies. Further, the students should be encouraged not to judge education as a life hardening experience with no benefits. As a starting point, this can be achieved through the teacher sharing the hardships he passed through in high school; which will motivate learners hence their improved performance towards completing their courses successfully (Brophy, 2001).
Conclusion
After examining keenly the importance of motivation in human behavior and high school students in particular; it is clear that motivation is inevitable in the Endeavour to realize set goals. This is therefore the case, as high school students should adequately be motivated so as to ensure they successfully complete their classes.
Reference list
Brophy, J. (2001). “Motivating Students to Learn”. London: Routledge.
McClelland, D. (1988). “Human Motivation”. Cambridge: Cambridge: University Press.
Shcunk, D. (2007). Motivation in Education: Theory, Research, and Applications. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.