1. Make connections to build on students' interests and strengths.
2. Take time to clearly define crucial teaching content and create achievable goals.
3. Teach intrapersonal skills and real-life applications of lessons.
4. Provide effective support while emphasizing student effort and acknowledging progress.

Here are some ways these tenets might play out in the classroom, especially when students struggle to muster their motivation.

Cultivating the Will to Succeed

Taking time to know students and welcome them to the classroom fosters not only a positive culture but a productive one. Students perceive a safe environment where asking questions, sharing ideas, and linking learning to prior knowledge are the norm. When establishing classroom culture, it is beneficial to "focus on what students need to succeed and build it into the learning and social environment every day" (Jensen, 2016, p. 111).

How This Might Look in Practice

• Inspire hope: Greet with a smile, give high fives, and embed genuine affirmations (e.g., "It's good to see you." "Nice job getting here on time." "Welcome back." "You nailed it!"). Specify how learning is beneficial in students' lives and be receptive to their thoughts and feedback. Integrate examples into your teaching of how individuals overcome adversity. Ultimately, interactions with students should serve as stepping-stones for trust and growth.
• Express enthusiasm: Exhibit a caring disposition for students and excitement about the topics you teach. Convey instruction with positive energy and purpose. Students will be more likely to ask questions and pursue learning.
• Be approachable: Have clear and consistent expectations for both learning and behavior while also promoting civility, equity, and respect. Nurture students' curiosity for learning by guiding them to discover their talents and view situations from different perspectives.
• Embrace teachable moments: Encourage students to reflect on learning experiences and tell them that their voices matter. Analyze what is going well, what adjustments are needed, and how different methods can get better results. Look at drawbacks as opportunities to solve problems creatively and build confidence.

Fostering Essential Connections

How often, despite our best intentions, do we assume we know what motivates learners? Do we take time to genuinely know students or explore their attitudes about school? These questions call to mind a middle school student I once met. He was sometimes sheltered from challenging work out of a misplaced concern that pushing him to think critically would be too frustrating for him. Basic lessons that required mere regurgitation of facts conveyed low expectations and insulted his potential. When I asked him, "What influences you to do well in school?" he said, without hesitation, "When teachers don't give me the easy stuff!"

Educators who motivate clearly define objectives and provide opportunities for "learning by doing." Feedback and multiple opportunities for practice help students understand expectations, monitor progress, and foster a can-do attitude.

How This Might Look in Practice

• Focus on success and set achievable goals.
• Clearly identify the topic and what students will learn.
• Use multiple, kid-friendly ways to explain learning goals so that students purposefully engage in the learning process.
• Connect lessons to what is relevant to students, including real-life examples and analogies to foster deep understanding.
• Pinpoint crucial information; too much at one time can be overwhelming and confusing.

Not Academics Alone

Competency in our content areas alone does not inspire effort. We must be sensitive to the fact that students may have experienced failure many times before coming to us. Students can be apprehensive that teachers will talk to them in a condescending manner or won't value them. A savvy teacher knows how to convey instruction in ways that give and garner respect.

How This Might Look in Practice

• Share a personal experience.
• Acknowledge when you get it wrong: "Sorry, this is my fault."
• Say, "I have no doubt we can get this done."
• Encourage self-confidence: "We'll take it one step at a time." "You've got this!"
• Invite feedback: "What are your thoughts?" "How might this be done differently?"
• Follow the 2x10 strategy and "invest 2 uninterrupted, undivided minutes a day for 10 consecutive days with the sole purpose of relationship building" (Mendler, 2000, p. 51).

Making a Difference

Unmotivated students can challenge any teacher. However, consistently framing each day as an opportunity to get stronger, and giving students the supports to do so, can encourage them to persevere. Over time, reluctance shifts to resilience, and students' excitement for learning reawakens. What could be more rewarding than giving struggling students hope and a chance to hold their heads a little higher?

References

Jensen, E. (2016). Poor students, rich teaching: Mindsets for change. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Mendler, A. N. (2000). Motivating students who don't care: Successful techniques for educators. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Cheryl J. Wright is an instructional coach in Kansas City for Kansas Public Schools.