Motivate High School Students to be Successful
Renita Williams
Western University

Motivate High School Students to be Successful
High school is a challenging stage for most students. A common challenge in this stage of life is maintaining an excellent academic performance. A common denominator in demotivated students entails viewing and feeling classes as a waste of time. In addition, this group of students feels that the information gained in class is not applicable in the real world. Demotivated students at this stage have no pride after completing their studies (Benson, 2008). Motivation is an important aspect that makes students have a sense of pride and accomplishment. Motivating students to attain high levels of accomplishment entails investing in incentive programs as well as relevant, interesting curriculum that makes students view graduation from high school important.
Motivation plays a critical role in the success of students at the high school level. In the bid of motivating students the importance of incentive programs encouraging them to achieve their goals cannot be underestimated. The chosen programs should be holistic thus including all aspects in learning. The programs should take note of students who have a difficult coping strategies. Having a personal sense of control keeps the students motivated and ready to accomplish the tasks provided. Under this context, teachers play an important role in recognizing and acknowledging students that have met the set targets (Pajares & Uradan, 2002). I remember vividly how our high school teachers kept us motivated. For example, when undertaking a mathematical quiz early in the morning, he used to call students to solve problems on the board. Those who accomplished the task were acknowledged through clapping while a students who did not solve the problem would be given words of encouragement and shown the way of accomplishing the task (Nunn, 2014).
From the above example, the forms of recognitions taken by teacher often vary, and it is entirely the teacher's decision to choose the most suitable approach. The overall effect is that the students will become motivated and have great pride as they improve. Students have different abilities and talents. For example, some students are good in mathematics while others are poor in languages. Continuous encouragement for student weak in some subjects will make them perform exceptionally. Another important incentive that high schools should introduce entails award and prize giving (Benson, 2008). For example, in my high school days, the school came up with the prize giving day. This was an important day at the end of the semester. Students who had performed would be recognized by receiving awards. Various categories were in place even in recognizing the best-improved students (Marshall, 2008). The best-improved student award covered even those students that were tailing. The various categories that have been put in place should therefore, provide a fair chance for recognizing important accomplishments. As aforementioned, the various categories include most improved (students that strive to do their best), honor roll (students that have done exceptionally well), participation (to motivate the students that participate in class), and attendance (recognizing students that are always attending classes). Importantly, not all students excel in academics; others have been gifted in co-curricular activities. The incentive programs should recognize students that have sport and art skills by giving prizes at the end of the year. In such a way, students who are not good in academics but gifted in sports and other outdoor activities will realize the need of being in school (Marshall, 2008). The success at the end of the year should not be underestimated. High schools should introduce pizza parties and school dances that involve the participation of both teachers and students. All the above incentives will spread