GK12 Montana State University

In general, people are motivated to develop competence. This is what makes humans good learners. As a teacher, there are ways to capitalize on this tendency. Remember to keep challenges at the proper difficulty level. Too much difficulty will discourage students, while too little will quickly lose their interest. Rewards and punishments can also enhance motivation. One example of an interesting reward is social opportunity. It has been shown that students are more motivated when they can see the usefulness of what they are learning and how that knowledge can be used to impact others. Keeping students motivated will make every other part of teaching much easier.