Why Motivate?

• Motivation can lead to desire. In this case, motivation can lead to a student desiring to learn. If he has an interest in learning, he's more likely to do the homework, work hard at it, study for tests and participate in class. If a student is motivated, he's more likely to raise his hand when a question is posed, as opposed to slouching down in his chair daydreaming. This will lead to better grades, which will not only make the teacher and school look good, but will also help the student. Likewise, this can make for a pleasant environment in the classroom where students motivate each other, share ideas and are interested in coming to class.
  
  

Incentives

• Students often need incentives to be motivated. A good grade might not be enough. Instead, students often need clear rewards and not just, "This will help you in the future," or, "This is very important to know." An easy reward is praising a student when she offers an answer, especially if it is correct. Doing so reinforces that her ideas are valued and that she's a positive contributor to the class. The reward could be a tangible item, such as a piece of candy for each point earned during a game in class.
  
  

Caring

• Some students see teachers as disciplinarian figures merely there to babysit them or force them to do homework. When students choose to see teachers as real human beings, they tend to feel more motivated to do well. An easy way for teachers to do this is to show they're human. Some ways to do this include laughing at a student's joke, sharing personal stories, admitting instances where the teacher struggled with a concept or something else in school and showing a genuine interest in the interests and well-being of the student. Students will be more motivated when it's clear the teacher is motivated to help them, and not just because "it's their job."
  
  

Being Realistic

• With efforts to motivate come realizations that not every technique will work. Some movies, TV, and books show unconventional teachers who stand on desks, wear costumes and tear pages out of books to quickly motivate their students. Unfortunately, this is not usually realistic. Some teachers might see their efforts met with complete silence and a continual lack of interest. Sometimes it may be factors out of the teacher's control or the teacher is trying too hard to motivate. Whatever the case, through practice and trying out different techniques, a teacher has a chance of finding some ways to motivate their students.