Motivation enhances the participation of an individual towards a certain goal. Motivation in schools has been known as a way through which many students improved their academic performance. The issue of raising high school performance has been a subject for discussions in many forums. Students seem to be looking for solutions to raise their grades and improve their academic performance. Many young people and teachers have used many tactics to improve their results. On the other hand, teachers came up with ideas of motivating students in the classes and schools in general, and by improving their grades, students can complete their classes successfully and graduate with their peers. In this paper, I shall discuss the ways students can be motivated in school._x000D_
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High school experiences._x000D_
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What motivated me to succeed?_x000D_
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One of the factors that motivated me was my family. To start with, my parents understood that I had a problem catching up in the class. . I was a slow learner even at the elementary school. For this reason my mother always took time to study with me. Secondly, my friend in the neighborhood attended a better school than me. She always took me during the weekends to study with her. She had good grades throughout the year. Therefore, I always endeavored to be like her, and in this regard, I followed her footsteps to improve my grades._x000D_
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What demotivating factors I faced in high school?_x000D_
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The ridicule I received from other students was the most demotivating factor that played a key role to the degree that I hated school. Once I was one of the students who performed the worst in class. I remember one day when I failed math. From that day my teacher developed a negative attitude towards me. I had a rough time coping in class, as my classmates ridiculed as well as my teacher. The ridicule reached its height when I overheard the teachers talking about me as the worst students in the whole grade. The teachers in the office were comparing my performance against that of the best student in the grade. That was the turning point._x000D_
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Factors that influence students to be successful or unsuccessful._x000D_
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There are several factors that influence high school students in modern world to be successful or unsuccessful. These include family factors, academic or school related factors, and the personal issues that may drag a student behind or help the student achieve his dream (Diaz)._x000D_
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Family factors include support from the family members. It is worth noting, that parents play a crucial role in the growth and well-being of the children. As parents are focused to ensure that their child has all the basic needs, in the same way parents have to ensure that the child has all he or she needs in school. The participation of parents and guardians has been long neglected, thus, students do not have proper focus on their studies. Most students will do school homework and forget about studying at home. This is mainly because the parents and guardians have utterly left all the work to the teachers. It is high time for parents contribute by motivating their children to focus on school work (Swan, 2003)._x000D_
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Academic factors include the school and all other academic resources that a student needs to improve his or her academic performance. It is essential and mandatory that every student has all academic materials and tools for school work. Text books and other reading materials can be a constant motivator for a student to keep working hard and meet the goals. On the contrary, a student who does not have any academic sources, especially the primary source, e.g. books, has a high chance of being unsuccessful in school. Such student cannot work on his or her own, but will always depend on other students in school. The sad bit about such a student is that he or she is likely to face ridicule from peers for lacking the necessary materials (Mantrana)._x000D_
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The teachers also play a significant role in the success of the students. Teachers are the prime source of inspiration for the students. Most students look up to teachers for their lead in matters that concern learning. For instance, it is the role of the teacher to give students a guideline through every subject that they are supposed to handle. Nonetheless, some teachers have a shortfall in their role in the classroom work. Failure for a teacher to give a lead in the subject will make students wonder on their own. Such class has a very low chance of succeeding. However, if a teacher is devoted to monitor the students, his class is likely to perform well (Jimerson et al, 2008)._x000D_
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Ways that can motivate high school students to be successful._x000D_
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To begin with, it is also beneficial for the student to work on one’s weaknesses. That is most students have a difficulty with self-motivation and depend on others to pass. Peer pressure is what may be leading such student to school. By the end of the day students cannot work on themselves. Such students need to focus on the purpose of being at school. A person should understand that studying in school is an individual’s goal and not collective (Morris, 2009). It is beneficial for each student to guard himself with self-confidence and utilize intrinsic skills (Tenzin-Dolma, 2008)._x000D_
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Secondly, teachers play a vital role in this matter. The best way to motivate students is by ensuring that the teacher is working hand in hand with the students. The teacher should know the students by name, and address each student by name (Craig, 2008). The teachers and parents should make a resolution so the young student will get immediate help if he needs it. It is also essential for the teacher to ensure that he or she knows the students individually._x000D_
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It is necessary for the teacher to understand the trends of each student. This is because every student has his or her ways of learning. In this regard, the teacher will use appropriate method to help the student improve. There are strategies for the fast learners and the slow learners (Sasson, 2007). The teacher and parents should also be keen to present opportunities to the students, such as giving them assignments. This is especially good when the teacher knows each student’s preferences (McInerney & Etten, 2002)._x000D_
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It is also important to use appropriate language when addressing students. Some students may be fragile and may not be able to take any abusive or harsh language. Hence, it is beneficial for the teacher and parent to keep encouraging the student with positive words, even when the performance of the student is low. This strategy can be coupled with giving awards to students who have improved or performed well._x000D_
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In conclusion, the success of an individual in school work is determined by three main factors. There are: the family, school and personal factors. However, it is beneficial for the student to ensure that he or she has put the best foot forward. Every adult person should motivate high school students to complete their classes successfully with a sense of accomplishment and prideto successfully graduate with their peers.