Inspire | Mentor | Develop

Inspire your students: ignite a fire!

What inspires students most?

Published March 2023

To inspire is to be that guiding light for another person. In the short term, it could be a teacher enabling a student to see the meaningfulness behind the content taught. Medium term, it may be to help them see through the year as best as they can. Long term, it is about enabling them to see and work towards life beyond school in a way that will enable them to thrive.

The role of a mentor is not always to inspire but also to tap into what may inspire a student or mentee. Then use that to direct and drive them towards achieving at their best.

Why light a fire?

The connection between light and inspiration is an age-old one for a reason. In education, inspiration enables hope and optimism.

As teachers and leaders in education, we should be driven by our ability to provide that to our students, not just for the temporary relief and meaning it may give but also as a lifelong skill that could become valuable at their most difficult moments.

Values and vision

A good place to start when trying to inspire is to encourage students to list the values they hold dear. By knowing these values, inspiration can be tailored to the individual. This can enable the development of pillars upon which character is built.

That way, students can develop a vision of where they want to go or who they want to be. Inspiration fills a vacuum through values and vision.

It is important that students understand that these two factors will guide them, enabling them to develop purpose and/or give reason and meaning.

In the classroom, this would be meaning to what is taught and in their wider lives, meaning to their aspirations or a unique perspective through which challenges can be managed.

Inspire through YOU

Never be afraid to let your students know your story. When you bring your authentic self to your class, you give permission for students to bring theirs too.

Let them know who and what inspires you to be your best. Tell them stories that link to this as too often teaching may create a false distance that means what you tell them to believe is possible seems unattainable.

The above means that some of the barriers to delivery are reduced, and the likelihood of creating stronger bonds with students is enhanced. The stronger the bonds, the more likely students will believe what they are taught and who they are taught by.

This is crucial as so much of what happens in the classroom depends on the mindset of students.

Inspire through THEM

Part of inspiration is enabling someone to see themselves achieving a goal objectively, almost like seeing a future self through a mirror. This requires investment in observing and reflecting on situations where a student has achieved despite expectations.

Even the smallest achievement can be used as a stimulus for this. There are also countless examples of young people who have done or do incredible things. Many of those young people are in our everyday classrooms.

Use examples of current students who have overcome learning or life challenges. Focus on what they did and use this to help students develop a toolkit of strategies to tap into inspiration.

Use ex-students to inspire students too. There is something empowering about knowing that someone who walked the same corridor as them or sat in the same classroom has gone on to do something impressive. Use this across a spectrum of outcomes, from basics such as improved attendance and/or punctuality to outstanding exam results.

Inspire through OTHERS

Some students need an external agent to get that ‘spark’. Most, for lack of option, will resort to a popular, trending, or social media personality. Teachers need to be better skilled at making the most of this avenue for inspiration rather than dismissing it.

Careful selection of guest speakers or an excursion that involves interacting with others out of school may also be useful here.

Inspiration and motivation

Students can easily be victims of learned helplessness. Inspiration is an avenue to ensure they are aware that there are options and alternative pathways whatever barriers may be faced. The presence of options increases the perception that one has control over a situation. This is motivating.

For example, a student who is struggling with a concept and is inspired to think about it from a different perspective (e.g., more creatively) will be motivated to continue learning or at least be hopeful that their difficulty can be resolved.

This can be applied to more challenging situations, such as mentees considering future career options when they have not met the requirements for a course.

Renewal of inspiration

All the above confirms the importance of inspiration and its role in improving outcomes for all.

However, to be the one kindling that fire can be exhausting and, as teachers are humans, they need to monitor their own energy levels and top this up to avoid burn-out.

Teachers need to monitor their energy levels and drive. To do this, review and renewal must be regular priorities. It is not possible to inspire others if a teacher has lost their own drive and lacks inspiration.