Motivating when Unmotivated

 Motivating when Unmotivated 

I teach 5th through 8th graders so I am able to stay with my students for four years. I have the unique opportunity of watching my students transition from childhood to adolescence. While there are millions of things that I love about this, one noticeable undesirable component of tracking students from 5th-8th grade is the obvious decline in motivation. My fifth graders race to complete their assignments while my eighth graders require some extra coaxing. Something to note: I don't really believe that there are any "unmotivated students." We can all be unmotivated at times. Let's face it: there are many times when we don't feel like teaching. I love it when the hard-working actions of my students motivate me into action.

Here are some things that help motivate when unmotivated.

1. Create a working environment attitude- Many of my students "joke" that they don't feel like doing anything. I try to keep this tone out of my classroom. I usually positively remark to these comments with "we always have something to do!" I don't want to discount their feelings, but I do want to teach them a life skill. I wouldn't walk up to my boss and tell her that I don't feel like working. I want them to learn how to don the correct mindset when needed. This includes not arguing with students who do not want to work. Either ignore the comments, or clearly address them and move on. 
2. Create a working environment- If you want your students to work while they are in your class, then make sure they have work to do! Students tend to get more upset about doing work when they don't expect to do work. When a student asks if we are going to do anything in class, I don't even have time to respond before the other kiddos pipe up that "we always have something to do!"
3. Work should meet an objective- This relates to purpose. Kids are smart. They know when you are handing them busy work. Make sure that the work that you provide always serves a purpose. 
4. Track progress- Create clear processes for students to track their progress and show them how working hard contributes to that progress. Whenever my students do well on a fluency probe, I always converse with them about their reading habits outside of class. My students chart their progress on weekly assignments so that they can monitor their own growth. Making connections between work and progress is so important. 
5. Establish consequences- There should be positive and negative consequences for working hard. Now, this doesn't mean that students should get candy every time that they do what they are expected to do. It is important to show students that working hard contributes to progress and an overall grade. Grades shouldn't stress students out. They should be a direct result of effort and understanding. It is difficult for students when they do not know what their grades are or how they are derived. Negative consequences should be simple and logical. If I had a student who drug their feet until the bell, I ask them to stay until they finish. This usually only takes a few minutes because they are instantly motivated and it teaches a powerful message. If I know that students have someone at home to help them, I send the work home along with an email to their parents. These logical consequences help students understand the importance of completing work.