Smith Curriculum and Consulting

Where Interactive Teaching and Extreme Learning Collide

  • shop on TpT
  • Blog Posts
  • Prof. Dev. Workshops
  • FREEBIE LIBRARY
  • Amazon Shop
  • Blog Shop
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

January 11, 2019

Motivating Students Who Just Don’t Wanna

Strategies to Motivate Students Who Just Don't Wanna

Strategies to Motivate Students Who Just Don't WannaHave you ever heard either of these from your students in class? “but Miss….. I don’t wanna…..” or “well, I didn’t think I had to do it.” You are probably nodding your head right now and totally get me because you have been there. Maybe you were even there this week. I feel you and I’ve been there myself and it sucks. It’s the absolute last thing you want to hear from your students because you know that you have taught the material, given the directions (as well as probably written them on the dry erase board and/or the paper in front of them) and have answered it for another student, or 10, already.

I get it. I truly do.

There are affiliate links within this post. As a member of Amazon Influencers I earn a small commission through your purchase of these items when you purchase through these links.

So How Do I Motivate Students to Do Work?

It’s not an easy, overnight fix… it takes some figuring out but I’m going to share with you some things that I did in my classroom over the years that seemed to work repeatedly time and time again.

First, make sure that you are taking the assignment for a grade. Having a grade attached to an assignment holds students accountable and will make them more likely to do their work. If you are doing an independent work assignment within math workshop you know how much that a student can easily complete in the given time for the station. You should be assigning work based on that and make sure to differentiate assignments during this time for students because that will make it that much more aligned to their abilities.

Then GRADE THEIR WORK! Let the students see the assignment and put the grade in the gradebook. If they don’t do an assignment, or if they only partially do it, they will see how it can affect them. Take this time to follow up with your procedures and consequences that you have in your classroom. Do you make students redo below a certain grade? Do they need to get a parent signature? Do they get a detention if they don’t do an assignment? Do they have to schedule tutorials to then come in and do the assignment? Follow through is going to be your biggest factor in this area because you set the stage. And in the end, if you choose to drop a grade before submitting them for the grading period that is up to you.

Making it a Game

Another way to motivate your students is to make it a game. I did this by giving my students their assignment, let’s say that it had 10 questions. I would then place 5 of the answers around the room under a sheet of construction paper (taped at the top to hide the answers underneath). Once they have spent their time working they can then show the Team Manager of their group to make sure there is work shown and answers on all and when approved they can go look at the different answers to check some of their work.

If it was an even shorter assignment, 4-6 problems, I would have them go check their answer after each problem. It would take a little more time but it would also get them up and moving to keep the wiggles out while they are working.

Teacher, Teacher…

And another great way to keep your students on task is to allow one group member to be the Teacher. This is a great task if you have a student in the group who has already mastered a concept, or even someone who might be struggling. Give them a green pen. Anything that they write must be done in the green pen so that you can see what they have done as well. They can answer questions (not showing them how to do something 100% but guiding them), students have have them check answers and they can put a check mark next to those that are correct, etc.

I started using this in my classroom when I was spot checking homework during the week (before I went to once a week homework) and I had 2-3 Student Teachers going around with green pens and clipboards with the answers for those items I wanted checked and it worked great.

With these three strategies I’m sure that you will find one that will work in your classroom, if not all of them. I will tell you I’ve been known to use multiple strategies in the same class throughout the school year because they don’t work all the time (and that’s okay). Have fun motivating your reluctant workers and let me know how it goes!

Join the SCC Newsletter Today!

Join the VIP List today to get immediate access to the FREE Resource Library exclusively for VIPs just like you!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit

Filed Under: Math Workshop, Teaching Tagged With: motivation

Jennifer Jochen

Jennifer Smith Jochen has been an educator since 2003 with experience in elementary, middle school and college. Math has been her passion since a young age which no doubt resulted in her secondary math teaching career. Currently Jennifer is a Differentiated Curriculum Designer and Staff Developer traveling the nation to train teachers on the effectiveness of Interactive Notebooks, Math Workshop and All Things Math. When she is not traveling and training she lives in Fort Worth, TX with her husband and dachshunds where they are working to renovate their home together while channeling their inner JoJo and Chip!

Join the SCC Newsletter Today!

Subscribe to get NEW content straight to your inbox as well as access to the FREEBIE Library!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit
Professional Development Information with Smith Curriculum and Consulting

Looking for Something Specific? Click Here!

anchor chart book blogging buddies centers connect four differentiation Facebook Live fractions freebie goals grading guided math homework INB interactive notebook interactive notebooks Intervention Math in Real Life math stations mathstations math websites math workshop math workshops math workstations motivation new year number talks order of operations organization pi day post it prove it problem solving round up Solve and Snip special education task Cards TEKS Test prep webinar WODB word problems workshops workstation workstations work stations youtube

The Links

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Disclosure
  • FREEBIE Library
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Cart
  • Checkout
  • Downloads
  • Account details

smithcurriculumconsulting

Staff Developer, Math Curriculum Designer, Author
Looking to Engage Teachers in 4-8th #mathworkshop #interactivenotebook
SmithCurriculumConsulting.com

Jennifer Smith Jochen, M.Ed.
Think positive! Think positive!
Little Night Time Rebus Puzzle... Little Night Time Rebus Puzzle...
We’re you SURPRISED? If you haven’t head it’ We’re you SURPRISED? If you haven’t head it’s Teachers Pay Teachers Sitewide Sale Days and I can’t be happier to give back to all of you by providing you each and everything in my store for 25% off with the code FORYOU21 at checkout!

What are you looking forward to buying today?

#iteachmath #iteach6th #iteach7th #iteach8th #iteach678 #middleschoolmath #mathteacher #iteach456 #iteach5th #teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #iteachtoo #teacher #teacherfriends #instateacher #teachersofinstagram
When working with your small groups in math, what When working with your small groups in math, what are your go to supplies and resources? If you could have ANYTHING & EVERYTHING, what would you ask for?
Cheers! Monday may be the first day of the week bu Cheers! Monday may be the first day of the week but it doesn’t have to be the worst. What success did you have today?

#teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #iteachtoo #teacher #teacherfriends #instateacher #teachersofinstagram #iteachmath #iteach6th #iteach7th #iteach8th #iteach678 #middleschoolmath #mathteacher #iteach456 #iteach5th
Take a guess... 🤣😂🤣 No cheating! #math Take a guess... 🤣😂🤣 

No cheating!

#mathjoke #teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #iteachtoo #teacher #teacherfriends #instateacher #teachersofinstagram
Are you on Clubhouse yet? Are you a NEW or want to Are you on Clubhouse yet? Are you a NEW or want to be a NEW Teacher Author? Come check us out this Friday as we talk tops and strategies about what YOU should be selling!

#teachersonclubhouse #clubhousemoderator #clubhouse #teacherblogger #texasteacher #igteachers #teachersofig #teacherauthor #teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #iteachtoo #teacher #teacherfriends #instateacher #teachersofinstagram
What kind of conversations are you having with you What kind of conversations are you having with your students during Guided Math? Are you letting THEM do the talking and demonstrating?
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2021 · Smith Curriculum and Consulting · Hello You Designs