What are some good ways to motivate students?

Providing them with applications to work on that they can use is a good way. Give them some back and forth drills in which each gets to apply different applications, and help to interpret them. Bag work and mitt work are also good for breaking up monotony as well.

One of the biggest things is to be motivated yourself. When you teach be full of energy and excitement about what you are teaching. The atmosphere that we present as teachers is one of the most important things we can provide.

Another way I motivate my students is if they are having difficulty in their training is to use of examples of the difficulties I went through when I was first starting out in the martial arts. It helps them to know that we go through the same stepping stones to get to where we are.

Okay, I am not an instructor, yet, but I wanted to help the younger students to keep going. I usually try and give them some sort of motivational talk before and after class and if I get the treat of observation that night, I normally critique their work and emphasize the good stuff that they did. It seems to work but I wanted a wider range of options to use...thankyou.

If I owned the school, I would definatly use some of your ideas, but due to our strict tradition, modern motivational tools are prohibited i.e. Century's motivational patch system.

One of the biggest things is to be motivated yourself. When you teach be full of energy and excitement about what you are teaching. The atmosphere that we present as teachers is one of the most important things we can provide.

Passion...says it all!

I have gone to class and been taught by instructors that seemed like they were bored or didn't want to be there; spoke in a monotone voice. That made me want to go home and not be there at all.

On the flip side, I've come out of work after having a bad day and not really wanting to go to class and I dragged myself there anyway and the instructor that night was lively, fun, enthusiastic (without being annoyingly so) and my mood changed and I ended up glad I went to class. I had fun!

So, yeah, passion, enthusiasm (without the annoying part) and an interesting lesson plan will motivate students both young & old.

On the flip side, I've come out of work after having a bad day and not really wanting to go to class and I dragged myself there anyway and the instructor that night was lively, fun, enthusiastic (without being annoyingly so) and my mood changed and I ended up glad I went to class. I had fun!

I have had days like this before as well. Even when I don't want to, it always pays off when I go to class.

When I first started teaching my instructor told me two things

1. Be creative

2. Your mood sets the tone of the class

I got the opportunity to teach tonight and I tried to be a little more enthusiastic than my master normally is. End results- Everyone had fun and gave it their all. This is more than they usaully give. Although I was teaching, I had fun as well. Thanks for the tips!

A really good instructor makes a world of a difference.