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Hello One of the most common topics of discussion is how to increase the motivation in the students, but also the teachers need motivation. How it’s possible to motivate the teachers? Don’t matters if are traditional teachers (classroom), e-learning teachers (distance learning education), b-learning teachers. Best Regards Fatima K. Hosein

What a great question!! Newer teachers tend to be self-motivated and excited to "teach" - lots of new teacher energy. Yet, I have noted that many experience teachers tend to be more "jaded" or less excited or motivated. If we are realistic, we can acknowledge that teaching can be very exhausting! What do you do to keep your energy levels high and maintain motivation? I have found that conferences and workshops - especially hands-on engaging and realistic presentations/workshops - work to motivate and sustain my energy for teaching. I love the NSTA conferences - both region and national events offer lots of opportunity to engage in "motivation-renewal". I especially like the full day PD opportunities offered the Wednesday prior to the beginning of the conference; they are called Professional Development Institutes. I have found that staying away from the teacher lounge and less motivated teachers also helps me maintain my level of motivation and energy. So I would suggest that it is important to surround yourself with motivated and positive teachers/people, as a means to improve/maintain motivation. Any other suggestions? I am very interested to read what others think on this topic. :-)

I agree with Susanne...I get my most energy from going to workshops and conferences where everyone who comes is looking for new and exciting things to do in their classrooms. Also, working with the teachers who are also energized is the best bet. You can support each other. One other thing I use to get energized is the helpful ideas I get from reading the Forum postings right here in the Learning Center. So you came to the right place to get started!!

If a teacher is in the same subject, same grade level, same school, same classroom, it's easy to fall into a routine. It helps to find new challenges to keep up with new ideas and new teaching strategies. Here are some ideas from NSTA's Ms Mentor blog for "self-motivation": http://nstacommunities.org/blog/2010/03/08/looking-for-a-challenge/

What I find to be motivating is to having fun and enjoying the students. When you can get to this point it seems to be an upward spiral. I enjoyed an article titled -- [u]How to enjoy your students while your students enjoy science[/u] in the NSTA resource collection. This article discusses how crucial it is to develop rapport with the kids and to develop a positive environment.

I think the most important thing that keeps me motivated is seeing students change and grow. I recall my first class - sophomores mostly at the time - and I swear that they did everything that they could imagine to make my life as difficult as possible. They would steal my remote and my water thermos, leave the classroom a mess even after asking them to take it all with them, come most days unprepared, and juest generally behaved like a bunch of knot-heads. It comes with the territory. BUT, there were always a few who tried - especially the kids that the other teachers "warn" you about. Get to know them, let them know you care, and then show it. Show respect and support, and it will come to you eventually, if not at first. A couple years later, I ran into one of my "problems" - and he gave me a hug, telling me how he was in college, and thanked me for believing in him. Others graduating two years later stopped by to tell me where they were headed after graduation, with a passion for their new-found dreams I could have never imagined. It takes time and patience, but know that you are making a difference in their lives, even if you don't see it on a daily basis!

Dear Susanne Thanks for your comments. I can appreciate that you participate in many discussions, forums, conferences, workshops about the teacher motivation and I believe it’s great but I also read that one of you strategies for motivation are “staying away from the Teacher lounge and less motivated teacher also helps me maintain my level of motivation and energy. So I would suggest that it is important to surround yourself with motivated and positive teachers/people as a means to improve/maintain motivation”. In that way I have to say that you strategy and suggestion generate in me some questions. For example: An important number of teachers in different levels have motivations problems as consequences of a variety of circumstances as the increase of the technology in education so if every teacher stays away from the Teachers that suffer motivation problems. The stay away doesn’t collaborate to increase the motivation problems in the Teachers? It’s not result better create strategies that help increase, maintain the Teachers Motivation instead putting them away? Best Regards Fatima K. Hosein

Dear Betty Thanks for your comments. I see that suggestion include the participation in forums – posting, I believe that with participation in forums can help the Teachers Motivation due the possibilities of interaction and share different types of knowledge. Best Regards Fatima K. Hosein

Dear Mary Thanks for your comments. The suggestions that you made are very interesting for increase, maintain the Teachers Motivation, but when you talk about self motivation I have to ask: How the Teacher can get self motivation? Best Regards Fatima K. Hosein

Dear Monica Thanks for your comments. I have to say that it’s a suggestion very important, because every student, every group of students has they particularity that made them especial and different offering many types of knowledge. Best Regards Fatima K. Hosein

Dear Jennifer Thanks for your comments. Your suggestions are interesting, especially when you said “students changes and grown” these suggestion can be use in the different education levels with interactions between teachers – students, teachers – teachers. Best Regards Fatima K. Hosein

Dear Tina Thanks for your comments. The different suggestions are important and interesting especially because them requires the utilization of the technology making necessary to the Teachers get involve whit the technology so that can contribute in the motivation increase. Best Regards Fatima K. Hosein

I'm struggling with this right now. I'm pretty disilluisioned with my school and district and my kids. I just gave my first test to my regular chem kids and 65% failed it. I already spent a week and a half longer on the material than I was supposed to. I'm just at the point where I find it hard to care any more when the school/district is already setting me up to fail by having 35-40 kids in my chemistry classes, putting kids in my class that don't meet the prerequisites, and then have apathetic kids who don't really care themselves. help me!

Hi Chris-- The challenges you're facing are similar to those faced by many teachers. The class size seems to be the most challenging. In a smaller class, it's easier to address individual needs and vary the learning strategies. But I suspect there's not much you can do about it. Be sure your administrators aware of the safety issues in a chem lab with this many students. And document the difficulties as they arise. (For example, if you skip a lab because you don't have enough materials, if there's not enough technology, if you have to take time to reteach some math skills, or if there is not enough space for cooperative learning activities). I tried to put myself in a student seat--I'm in an overcrowded chem class, I don't have a strong math background (Is that what you meant by prerequisite?), and some of my classmates have already given up. If I don't think I can be successful, I'll probably become apathetic about the class, too. So as the teacher, you can't give up on the kids. (Yes, I know that sounds altruistic, but I too had classes with folding chairs and shared textbooks.) So you will have to change some activities and the pace of the class. What kind of formative assessments do you use during instruction? A quick checkup after a concept presentation or activity can let you know when students don't "get it" and can boost students' self-esteem (Hey--I can do this!). There are many kinds of formative assessments in addition to traditional quizzes. Let me know if you need some examples or more information. Please know that you're not alone! You have many colleagues who can help via these forums and the NSTA listserves--even if you just need to vent! Mary B

Well I've said this a few times in other places...so I apologize for the redundancy. Last year, my district decided to go bat-poop crazy and have Chemistry be the required class for Freshmen. We also have juniors and seniors who are taking it as well. They created another freshmen class called inquiry science that is designed for the kids who don't have the math requirements to be in chemistry. Last year the requirement was a C or better in Algebra 1 as an 8th grader...that requirement was pretty much ignored. This year they changed the requirement to "have taken Algebra 1" which means I have several kids who got D's or F's as 8th graders and were promoted along anyway...plus several that don't meet the algebra 1 requirement...because our counselors just throw kids into classes without thnking. This coupled on top of the fact that I have classes that are half freshmen half juniors/seniors and it makes things fairly complicated. I've done ticket out the door, but I really just glance at those and throw them away...Could do more I know, I use white boards quite a bit but often find that hte kids who don't know what they are doing often just copy from their neighbor anyway. I would be welcome to other ideas.

I think that one way to keep that energy of a new teacher flowing is to surround yourself by positive and motivated teachers. when you have a good support system and people that share the same passion for education that fire for education will keep burning because you'll have each other to fuel the flame. Also being open to change I think that often some veteran teachers get used to using the same lesson plans years after years ignoring the fact that not only do your students change each year, but also times change as well. It's okay to switch up and change those lesson plans each year to cater to your new audience; it keeps you engaged and on your toes as well as breaks the routine that is easy to fall into.

Hello Chris I know that felling, but the important thing it’s not to give up. First take deep breath, read a book or go out and take a cup of coffee, after that the stars making a review in which aspect that have more failure so you can thin, imagine create a new strategies whit new or same tools tray to use technology tools. If you need help not doubt in let me know. Best Regards Fatima K. Hosein

Hello Jessica What you mention about having a good support it’s important, but also it’s important to not forget that every teacher are susceptible to suffer motivation problems so even if you are surrounded with teacher that in that specific moments doesn’t have that type of problems doesn’t mean that they are no have possibilities to enter in the group. So one of the recommendation that I always have it’s to take a time to recovery, think, relax and the make an examination and possible solutions. Best Regards Fatima K. Hosein

One of the most motivating things for me is to have a principal that is excited to be in the school and believes in me as a teacher. This is my 23rd year and have a brand new principal at my middle school. The first two days we worked together as a staff before school began, she treated us as professionals and did not bog us down with rhetoric and junk. There was no game playing. Everything was straight forward and transparent. We knew the goal and purpose of each activity. We are all new to Common Core, new standards and new evaluation criteria, I think it would be fair to say we are all a bit overwhelmed. It would be really easy to just give up and do what we could and hoped it would be enough. Her energy, excitement and belief in us was contagious. The goals and vision she shared were definitely within our grasp. The respect in the room was palpable. We returned to our classrooms for the final hours of preparation and found she was out in the halls helping us put up bulletin boards that would be welcoming to the students. To have a leader that is willing to stand with you and learn alongside is a gift.

I am an elementary education major and I am in school as we speak. While I am in the field classrooms, it's hard to witness the lack of motivation from the teachers. It makes my days hard sometimes. I hope I never lose my spark! Keep it up everyone!

Hello Sandy Thanks for share you experience, as you say in many opportunities results easier give up, but in those situations it`s ware the teachers need more support and places to share knowledge, experience and motivations from another colleagues don’t matter the education level in which they give class, it’s in those case where teachers recover the strong to continue. The Common Core it’s important in many aspects but also is important have a space to interact about different situation as Common Cores aspects. Best Regards Fatima K. Hosein

Hello Alexis Don’t worry Alexis, in the hard days smile. One of the strategies that can help you in your class could be incorporated the technologies or Project-Based Approaches. Best Regards Fatima K. Hosein

I am probably preaching to the choir here, but getting involved with your professional organizations (like NSTA) is a great way to stay motivated. Don't just go to conferences - get involved with the folks who run them. Your state science teachers associations are a great way to start.

Dear Chris I’m agreed with you, it’s important to the different organizations create nets or spaces like this to keep communications and motivations between professionals. Best Regards Fatima K. Hosein