Authors

  1. Nelson, Yolanda M. EdD, MSNed, RN-BC

Article Content

As nurse educators, we may encounter students in the classroom who are not enthusiastic about the course content or teaching strategy. How do you maintain enthusiasm in the classroom? First, you must be passionate about the content you are teaching. When students realize that you are passionate about the subject matter, it inspires them to be motivated to learn the material. One simple way is by changing the tone in your lecture and showing excitement about the content. Even if you are not as passionate about a subject matter, you can still engage the students. Second, demonstrating that you sincerely care about the students' success goes a long way. One way to do that is by offering a short informal assessment of the class after week 3 of the course. This informal assessment incorporates 2 questions: "What is working for you?" and "What do you need more of?" The educator can make adjustments to align the course material and learning activities to student feedback. Examples of changes may include more engagement strategies, such as games, YouTube videos, and group discussions about the course content. Once these changes have been implemented, students feel even more inspired because they see that you take their suggestions seriously. Students become invested in the class and realize that their voice matters.