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Teacher Motivation

Modern teacher is expected to shoulder multidimensional responsibilities to initiate desired learning outcomes. In these days of rapid scientific and technological developments, teaching – learning transaction has become more sensitive and sophisticated. Consequently teacher is facing many problems to undertake the complex classroom activity effectively and successfully. Normally a young and new teacher starts his/her professional career with interest, enthusiasm and dedication, but gradually due to organizational and extra – organizational impediments his/her zeal towards his/her profession is being mitigated. At this juncture, teacher ought to be motivated to strengthen and retain his/her zeal and enthusiasm towards teaching profession, lest he/she would be a square plug in a round hole. There are many motivational studies in relation to students and their performance. Unfortunately very few efforts are made to motivate teachers. There are many strategies of motivating children in a classroom, but when we think of strategies of motivating teachers in their work situation, the condition is alarmingly disappointing. Without proper teacher motivation, the ulterior objective of education, bringing out desired changes among children, cannot be accomplished.

The purpose of this training package is to give new insights and inputs to teachers and educational administrators on motivation. In our day-to-day life experiences, we should be motivated ourselves and should also motivate others to achieve success.

In this training package motivational concepts are presented in simple and easy style in order to facilitate you to achieve whatever that you want to achieve. Remember that you can, if you think you can. Motivation and power are so closely linked together. There is power in a motivated person. We may refer to a story of a mother who lifted a car to save her child under it. She did not have the physique, the strength or the muscle power. But she did have the power of motivation.

This training package consists of eighteen modules on different aspects and strategies of motivating teachers to work meaningfully and effectively. All modules are prepared for the teachers and educational administrators, wherein, some modules are specially intended for educational administrators and school supervisors.

The first module entitled, ‘Becoming a Happy and Successful Teacher’, deals with some axioms or principles to make teachers and academic supervisors happy and successful in their educational endeavors to derive professional pleasure.

The second module, ‘Creating and Enhancing Professional Interest’, is intended to create and enhance professional interest among teachers, as it is an essential and most important factor of motivating teachers. In this module different motivational models and techniques of creating, retaining and enhancing professional interest are discussed with suitable illustrations.

Success of any person whether a teacher or academic supervisor, depends much on his/her achievement motivation. Hence, the third module entitled, ‘Enhancing Achievement Motivation among Teachers’, deals with pattern of achievement oriented and avoidance oriented teachers. Some techniques of achieving success and characteristics of persons with high achievement motivation are also presented carefully in this module in order to enhance achievement motivation among teachers.

Fourth module of this training package is on ‘Morale and Organizational Climate’. This module deals with the concepts of morale and organizational climate. Number of tips of achieving morale, through school activities, is provided in this module.

Salient features of developing work orientation are illustrated in fifth module on ‘Work Orientation’. Different types of work orientation from task orientation to self – actualized orientation are explained in this module.

The sixth module is on, ‘Stress and Glow-onness’. This module facilitates teachers and academic supervisors to acquire new insights into these emerging concepts of psychology. In order to motivate teachers, the inter – relationship between Glow – on, Rust – Out and Burn – out are presented in this module with suitable illustrations.

A teacher will be motivated, provided he/she possess professional competency to yield desirable results in his/her classroom transaction. The seventh module on ‘Professinal Competency’, deals with activities to promote professional competency of teacher in order to motivate him/her to work effectively.

The module on ‘Role Play and Role Perception’ indicates different roles a teacher is expected to play. Several activities are provided for effective role play and role perception.

Communication, without any hesitation, can be considered as an important motivating factor. In order to improve teacher motivation, it is necessary to improve their communication skills. The ninth module deals with different techniques of promoting communication skills among teachers.

Generally, teachers get motivation when they are informed how effectively they performed. Tenth module deals with ‘Feedback Mechanism’. In a classroom or school situation teacher’s competency and students’ performance are the main feedback mechanisms to motivate a teacher. Some aspects of feedback through teacher competency and student performance are explained in this module.

Teacher has to interact with class as a group. The knowledge about group dynamics and skills of identifying student to student interactions makes a teacher effective. Eleventh module on ‘Group Dynamics’ facilitates teachers to understand the formation and process of classroom groups, techniques of preparing socio-gram and different group structures.

A teacher can be motivated provided he is mentally healthy. The module on, ‘Mental Health of Teacher’, intended to facilitate a teacher to understand characteristics of mentally healthy person, causes of mal – adjustment among teachers and programs to improve teachers’ mental health.

The highest motivational profile of any person is self – actualization. Thirteenth module ‘Self – Esteem and Self – Actualization’, deals with characteristics of self – actualized persons. Several activities are suggested to improve self – esteem and self – actualization needs of teachers.

Fourteenth module of this training package is on ‘Society and School’. The level of motivation of a teacher depends on the society and school in which a teacher is placed. This module provides a teacher with necessary knowledge and skills of taping societal and school motivational sources.

Success in his/her educational endeavors is possible only when a teacher is self – motivated. The module on ‘Techniques of Motivating a Teacher’, suggests some activities where in a teacher is able to identify sources of motivation and understand the techniques through which he/she can be motivated himself/herself.

The sixteenth module is on ‘Leadership’. This module is specifically addressed to educational administrators and academic supervisors. Components of leadership situation, different leadership styles, and principles of leadership are discussed with suitable illustrations in this module.

The module entitles ‘Strategies of Motivation’, comprehensively deals number of motivational strategies for maintaining and enhancing motivational levels of teachers. This module helps educational administrators and academic supervisors to get new insights into the various motivational strategies.

It is true that motivational supervision helps to enhance motivational levels of teachers. The eighteenth module is on ‘Motivational Supervision’. Principles of motivation, strategies of motivational criticism and techniques of motivational supervision are discussed in this module.