How to raise student's interest?

The starting point of organizing activities for students must be the interest in them. It is very important to know what our students are interested in. When we prepare a personal development plan one of our main topic should be what the student loves to do in his/her free time, does he/she have a hobby because these areas of interest are usable in the pedagogical and personal development process.

There is no person who is not interested in something. The question is if we, teachers accept or not the fields, topics, areas of our students’ interest without judgement.

Some things we need to know about the interest of young people:

• One of the main characteristic of young people’s interest that it is often changeful, rhapsodic. One day they love to do something but on the other day they may love to do the opposite. But pose the question! What does it mean actually? What is the message of it? The pedagogical message that they want to try everything, they want to do everything. So we should support this aspiration. Let them to try as many activities as they want.

• Young people do not like obligatory activities even if they love them. This is a simple age peculiarity which will pass. Let them choose activities. Provide them always possibilities to do something.      

• Observe the reasons if you realize that a student does not have any or has only minimal areas of interest. He/she may come from a family or background with low intensity activities or interest. The student may not have any precious experiences about activities. They simply do not know what they can do. Our task is to show them the most types of activities.

Students spend much more time passively than actively. They listen much more than talk especially in the school. This is one of the reasons why their interest does not develop. Let them express themselves. Let them talk, ask, act. Organize interactive lessons, give them presentation tasks about a small part of the topic you deal with, organize small group works, let them express their ideas, opinion. The more they can talk and perform the more their interest will develop.