Motivating Your Students

[PhotonGuy]

When running a dojo I think its important for instructors to motivate their students and this involves knowing why the student chose to learn martial arts and what they hope to get out of it, what their goals are. I read about this in a magazine article once, lets say an instructor is having a student do this certain kicking drill. The instructor should give the student a reason why they should do the drill. "Because I said so and Im the sensei," could suffice but it might not be the best way to motivate the student. Other reasons as to why the student should do the drill, the instructor could say, "Well you want to get a black belt don't you?" Maybe the student started training because they want to lose weight and they don't care about getting a black belt. In that case the instructor could say something like, "By doing this drill you burn off this many calories," but to say that the instructor would have to know why the student is training which in that case would be to lose weight. So the way I see it is that an instructor should know what a student's goals are and should help the student reach those goals.

 

[hoshin1600]

"Because I said so and Im the sensei,"

well i pay you so,,go flip yourself,, ill go somewhere else

"Well you want to get a black belt don't you?

no actually i dont want a black belt, its just a piece of cloth

"By doing this drill you burn off this many calories,"

oh so now im fat !!!??? are you saying im fat,,yeah your saying im fat!!!


sorry dude i disagree with you. its childish. the examples you have given are methods of negotiation i use with my 7 year old to eat his vegetables. "you want to grow up big and strong, dont you? so you need to eat your vegetables"

if the instructor has to constantly be reminding the student why they are there, i dont want that student in my dojo. if i need to be a babysitter i will close the place down and go practice on my own. thats not how i want to spend my time.
i expect my students to behave as adults (if they are adults) and i will be professional.
that being said yes students can be and sometimes need motivation. but adult motivation is grounded in the atmosphere of the facility, the professionalism of the instruction and the success of those who have gone before them.
true motivation is the realization that you CAN achieve your goals, you find your a better person when you train rather then when you dont and the future has a clear and defined image etched in your brain of the person you want to become.

 

[Headhunter]

If the person has chosen to go into that school then that's their choice it's not like school where they have to go. This is their choice if they constantly need a kick up the backside to work hard then they may as well quit because if they're not motivated in class they won't be motivated to practice outside the school. Also what if you have say 20 students in a class what are you going to do say a whole list of things to suit everyone in the place.

To me if an instructor tells me to do 100 roundhouse kicks I'm going to do 100 roundhouse kicks because he is in charge and I want to be there so I do what I'm told to do or there'd be no point in me paying to be there if I'm not going to do as I'm asked I may as well just do my own stuff.

I've always believed if someone is dedicated enough they'll stick it out if not they won't it doesn't matter how much positive reinforcement you give or how many good things you tell them if they want it they'll do it if they don't they won't simple as that really.

 

[hoshin1600]

To me if an instructor tells me to do 100 roundhouse kicks I'm going to do 100 roundhouse kicks

when i teach i dont tell students to do 100 kicks. i say "we are going to do kicks,, i am going to do 100, you do what you can. if you can do 100 great, but if you can only manage 50 thats fine. now lets do it...1...2....3"
i would never ask students to do more than i am willing to do myself, and generally i have always been able to do more than them (although that is changing as i get older). but the point is the instructor sets the tone and people will meet the expectations , exceed it or work to get there over time.
the instructor sets the expectations and the tone or atmosphere. but that could be different for each school. some schools are heavy on fitness others are not. some are intense some are laid back. if a student needs me to "motivate" them to meet these expectations there is a good chance my teaching is not for them.
in the Aikido school i used to go to there was the expectation that students would show up a half hour early to clean the dojo from top to bottom. if someone routinely showed up after cleaning time, they would be spoken to about it (if there wasnt an agreement with Sensei due to schedule restrictions) if it continued the student would be politely told it is a requirement and if it cant be met they are free to train elsewhere. lots of people feel bent out of shape if they have to clean the school, but the bottom line is, that its just not the right place for you.

now if your a super commercial school then business wise i can see motivation as a form of student retention. you want that check rolling in every month for as long as possible because finding new students cost money.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

When running a dojo I think its important for instructors to motivate their students and this involves knowing why the student chose to learn martial arts and what they hope to get out of it, what their goals are. I read about this in a magazine article once, lets say an instructor is having a student do this certain kicking drill. The instructor should give the student a reason why they should do the drill. "Because I said so and Im the sensei," could suffice but it might not be the best way to motivate the student. Other reasons as to why the student should do the drill, the instructor could say, "Well you want to get a black belt don't you?" Maybe the student started training because they want to lose weight and they don't care about getting a black belt. In that case the instructor could say something like, "By doing this drill you burn off this many calories," but to say that the instructor would have to know why the student is training which in that case would be to lose weight. So the way I see it is that an instructor should know what a student's goals are and should help the student reach those goals.

I only teach students who want proficiency at defensive fighting skills and are interested in developing themselves beyond that area. I'm not saying I wouldn't teach someone with a different motivation, but they never join - my intent and focus is too obvious. So, everything I do is focused toward either that, or toward a deeper understanding of the art (the intellectual pursuit many of us tend toward once we have a reasonable level of proficiency), or to help them build self-discipline (the primary area of self-development I tend to focus on).

So, I never deal with motivation in a given drill, except to explain how it helps develop that competence at defensive fighting, since this isn't always obvious to the students.

I'm interested in seeing others' replies here, because I'm almost certainly missing some opportunities to motivate students in some areas.

 

[Jaeimseu]

Defining objectives for a lesson and setting expectations is good practice when teaching students of any age.


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[Gerry Seymour]

well i pay you so,,go flip yourself,, ill go somewhere else


no actually i dont want a black belt, its just a piece of cloth


oh so now im fat !!!??? are you saying im fat,,yeah your saying im fat!!!


sorry dude i disagree with you. its childish. the examples you have given are methods of negotiation i use with my 7 year old to eat his vegetables. "you want to grow up big and strong, dont you? so you need to eat your vegetables"

if the instructor has to constantly be reminding the student why they are there, i dont want that student in my dojo. if i need to be a babysitter i will close the place down and go practice on my own. thats not how i want to spend my time.
i expect my students to behave as adults (if they are adults) and i will be professional.
that being said yes students can be and sometimes need motivation. but adult motivation is grounded in the atmosphere of the facility, the professionalism of the instruction and the success of those who have gone before them.
true motivation is the realization that you CAN achieve your goals, you find your a better person when you train rather then when you dont and the future has a clear and defined image etched in your brain of the person you want to become.

The examples are simplisticly presented, but are valid. For many people, the fact that the instructor assigned a drill is enough (the instructor never says in most cases, "Because I'm the instructor..." but that's what they react to). For some students, when they are focused toward a next promotion, it's possible to get a bit more out of them by letting them know that working on a specific drill will get them closer.

As for the burning calories, if someone has said they are there to lose weight (I've had people approach me about that), then telling them they are going to burn some calories with an exercise is simply meeting their request, not calling them fat.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

If the person has chosen to go into that school then that's their choice it's not like school where they have to go. This is their choice if they constantly need a kick up the backside to work hard then they may as well quit because if they're not motivated in class they won't be motivated to practice outside the school. Also what if you have say 20 students in a class what are you going to do say a whole list of things to suit everyone in the place.

To me if an instructor tells me to do 100 roundhouse kicks I'm going to do 100 roundhouse kicks because he is in charge and I want to be there so I do what I'm told to do or there'd be no point in me paying to be there if I'm not going to do as I'm asked I may as well just do my own stuff.

I've always believed if someone is dedicated enough they'll stick it out if not they won't it doesn't matter how much positive reinforcement you give or how many good things you tell them if they want it they'll do it if they don't they won't simple as that really.

I don't think the point of the OP was that we (instructors) have to constantly coax people into doing an exercise. But helping them find a bit of extra motivation can be useful - getting them to put a bit more "life" into an exercise that they don't like (and there are plenty of those) on a day when they are feeling less internally motivated (there are plenty of those, too).

 

[Gerry Seymour]

when i teach i dont tell students to do 100 kicks. i say "we are going to do kicks,, i am going to do 100, you do what you can. if you can do 100 great, but if you can only manage 50 thats fine. now lets do it...1...2....3"
i would never ask students to do more than i am willing to do myself, and generally i have always been able to do more than them (although that is changing as i get older). but the point is the instructor sets the tone and people will meet the expectations , exceed it or work to get there over time.
the instructor sets the expectations and the tone or atmosphere. but that could be different for each school. some schools are heavy on fitness others are not. some are intense some are laid back. if a student needs me to "motivate" them to meet these expectations there is a good chance my teaching is not for them.
in the Aikido school i used to go to there was the expectation that students would show up a half hour early to clean the dojo from top to bottom. if someone routinely showed up after cleaning time, they would be spoken to about it (if there wasnt an agreement with Sensei due to schedule restrictions) if it continued the student would be politely told it is a requirement and if it cant be met they are free to train elsewhere. lots of people feel bent out of shape if they have to clean the school, but the bottom line is, that its just not the right place for you.

now if your a super commercial school then business wise i can see motivation as a form of student retention. you want that check rolling in every month for as long as possible because finding new students cost money.

I rarely get to say that to my students. I have a class to teach, and can't do everything every student is doing. If I do 100 kicks, I'm ignoring those not involved in that exercise.

 

[hoshin1600]

I rarely get to say that to my students. I have a class to teach, and can't do everything every student is doing. If I do 100 kicks, I'm ignoring those not involved in that exercise.

i get that. but thats due to your style. my Aikido instructor would demonstrate the technique he wanted people to work on and thats it. but in karate or MMA there is a lot of reps of basics or physical exercise involved, so thats what i was referring to. i have seen karate teachers making demands on students to do lots of push ups while they lean against the wall relaxing. usually in my karate classes the time was divided in half. first half to basics and PT and second half for technical stuff.

 

[hoshin1600]

The examples are simplisticly presented, but are valid. For many people, the fact that the instructor assigned a drill is enough (the instructor never says in most cases, "Because I'm the instructor..." but that's what they react to). For some students, when they are focused toward a next promotion, it's possible to get a bit more out of them by letting them know that working on a specific drill will get them closer.

As for the burning calories, if someone has said they are there to lose weight (I've had people approach me about that), then telling them they are going to burn some calories with an exercise is simply meeting their request, not calling them fat.

i was being facetious. due to the way it was presented.

 

[hoshin1600]

But helping them find a bit of extra motivation can be useful - getting them to put a bit more "life" into an exercise that they don't like (and there are plenty of those) on a day when they are feeling less internally motivated (there are plenty of those, too

notice my first post, i wrote

sorry dude i disagree with you. its childish

(meaning i disagreed with his analogy and methods, if that is what he does)

thats not to say i disagree with motivation. in the case you cite i usually get next to the student and become a little more exaggerated in my own motivation and excitment to bring the energy up in the room.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

i get that. but thats due to your style. my Aikido instructor would demonstrate the technique he wanted people to work on and thats it. but in karate or MMA there is a lot of reps of basics or physical exercise involved, so thats what i was referring to. i have seen karate teachers making demands on students to do lots of push ups while they lean against the wall relaxing. usually in my karate classes the time was divided in half. first half to basics and PT and second half for technical stuff.

It's more a matter of having people at different levels practicing different things, and the value of having an instructor watching for areas to work on, rather than getting to participate. That is somewhat driven by style. If I do a class focused on strikes (and assuming everyone is at a level ready to participate in the drills), I can participate in some of the drills, because I can watch the class while I do the strikes with them. But that's only going to be true of "air strike" drills, for the most part. Even if I had enough heavy bags, I can't be kicking a heavy bag and watching the students. And if it's a simple partner strike-block drill, I can't do that and watch students.

When I'm participating, I'm less able to help them correct.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

notice my first post, i wrote
(meaning i disagreed with his analogy and methods, if that is what he does)

thats not to say i disagree with motivation. in the case you cite i usually get next to the student and become a little more exaggerated in my own motivation and excitment to bring the energy up in the room.

Got it. I missed the intent of your post.

 

[thanson02]

Defining objectives for a lesson and setting expectations is good practice when teaching students of any age.

I agree with Jaeimseu on this one. Having clear goals and expectations lets the students know exactly what they are signing up for. I would also add clear results to get students towards these goals. If a student comes in, sees what you do, and likes it, when they see that there is a clear path to get them from point A to point B, I think they will find enough motivation themselves to keep up with the training. Above all things, they want to participate in what you are offering and if they have complete confidence that you will help them get results, I don't think you need to worry about motivating them.

 

[PhotonGuy]

well i pay you so,,go flip yourself,, ill go somewhere else


no actually i dont want a black belt, its just a piece of cloth


oh so now im fat !!!??? are you saying im fat,,yeah your saying im fat!!!


sorry dude i disagree with you. its childish. the examples you have given are methods of negotiation i use with my 7 year old to eat his vegetables. "you want to grow up big and strong, dont you? so you need to eat your vegetables"

if the instructor has to constantly be reminding the student why they are there, i dont want that student in my dojo. if i need to be a babysitter i will close the place down and go practice on my own. thats not how i want to spend my time.
i expect my students to behave as adults (if they are adults) and i will be professional.
that being said yes students can be and sometimes need motivation. but adult motivation is grounded in the atmosphere of the facility, the professionalism of the instruction and the success of those who have gone before them.
true motivation is the realization that you CAN achieve your goals, you find your a better person when you train rather then when you dont and the future has a clear and defined image etched in your brain of the person you want to become.

The point is, its good for an instructor to know why a student started training and what the student's goals are and that way the instructor can help the student reach their goals.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I only teach students who want proficiency at defensive fighting skills and are interested in developing themselves beyond that area.

What do you think the following approach?

A: I want to be your student.
B: The day that you can run 3 miles within 30 minutes, come back and I'll teach you.

Is this a good way to test whether a student is truly seriously or not?

 

[Gerry Seymour]

What do you think the following approach?

A: I want to be your student.
B: The day that you can run 3 miles within 30 minutes, come back and I'll teach you.

Is this a good way to test whether a student is truly seriously or not?

If that is a reasonable expectation for a new student, then it is good to use. In my case, there is simply no need for them to be able to make that run, and I don't have any need for them to prove something to me before I will train them. I have met instructors who had an approach like that. They only taught a few students, and had a waiting list, so that made sense for their situation.

Now, down to the question of whether it's a test for someone being serious about their training. It seems reasonable for that, assuming the people coming in are neither very unfit nor reasonably fit. The first group may need help reaching that level, so the requirement isn't just a test of their intention. The second group could already meet that goal, so it tests nothing about their intention.

 

[MA_Student]

To me I've never needed motivation in class because I've chosen to go to class so I'm going to give it my all if I'm ever in a position where I don't want to be there I won't go that night because I know I'll be unmotivated and won't give it my all

 

[Gerry Seymour]

To me I've never needed motivation in class because I've chosen to go to class so I'm going to give it my all if I'm ever in a position where I don't want to be there I won't go that night because I know I'll be unmotivated and won't give it my all

Going when you don't feel like it is valuable for most of us. There were many times I didn't want to go, but learned from both the class and the experience of going, anyway.

As for needing motivation, it's really not a question of whether we need it. It's more a question of how much we have at the moment. If you always have enough, you don't need more.