Motivating students has been a goal for teachers for generations, and it unfortunately has eluded them at times. In the second edition of his textbook "Educational Pyschology," psychologist John W. Santrock defines motivation as "the processes that energize, direct and sustain behavior." In education, this translates to the ways we get students energized about their learning. One method of motivation is called "extrinsic motivation," which uses rewards and goals to get students motivated. There are a variety of ways to get students motivated using extrinsic methods.

Define clear goals for your students to meet. Extrinsically motivated students excel because they are motivated to reach certain goals. Make the grading system clear, so that the students know exactly what constitutes a high grade or fulfilled expectations.

Provide tangible rewards for good performance. For instance, in younger children, receiving a coin, stone, sticker or other such fun reward is often a strong extrinsic motivator. For older students, the student with the best grade on a test or paper might receive a book or a bag of candy in reward.

Provide intangible rewards for good performance. For example, a top-performing student might receive an extra 15 minutes at lunch or recess.

Provide group rewards for good performance. If the class hits a certain grade score, for example, perhaps you treat them to a pizza party or to watching a fun video in class for one day.

Always check with your school's administrators before deciding on extrinsic rewards for student motivation. Some schools have very specific rules regarding rewards involving food, drink or missed class time.