Lack of Motivation: A Common Struggle in Today’s Classrooms

In my last post, I introduced a poll I conducted, wherein I gathered information regarding common challenges students today are facing. As a reminder, eleven teachers were polled, and 100% of them indicated that lack of motivation was one of the top struggles they see their students face. 81% of them named both distractions and access to technology as other top problems. Teachers were asked to share how they see these problems present in their classrooms, and what they are doing to help their students combat the issues. 

Today, I’ll dive into the number one most common problem: lack of motivation. 

When I created the poll, I was expecting to have lack of motivation be a concern for secondary teachers. What I was surprised to learn, however, is that elementary teachers are experiencing the same problems with their students, too. 

One first grade teacher said, “There are so many students that don’t buy into learning, and they don’t care to learn what they are being taught. I find that this typically either comes because students struggle with a subject or because they are so good at it that they feel bored- even though there is usually still something they need to practice in the lessons.”

A second grade teacher described her experience: “I feel like a lot of students try to pick and choose what they want to care about. If it isn’t a fun activity, it is really hard to get them to participate and pay attention even if it is a necessary skill for them to learn and to be successful.”

Secondary students also struggle with being motivated. One teacher, who teaches grades 7, 8, and 9, remarked, “I see students that are coming to school to earn a grade, rather than coming to school to learn. Very few students see the purpose of learning to grow.”

What is causing this massive lack of motivation among students today? Perhaps many of these students are experiencing difficulties in other areas of their lives, and school has become something they dread rather than look forward to. Maybe students today are so used to getting instant gratification from their various devices that traditional methods of learning just aren’t as exciting for them anymore. Could it even be that students’ schedules are so full that school has become just one more thing on their “I don’t want to do this but have to do this” list? 

Lack of motivation could stem from any number of reasons. But one thing is for certain: motivation is something that students will need to use for the rest of their lives. They have to figure out what drives them and pushes them to learn and get things done… even if it’s doing something they don’t really want to do. I often tell my own children that, “sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do, and that’s ok!”

As a teacher, having students who just aren’t motivated to learn and/or work can be very frustrating. You can’t force a student to learn, and external motivators and rewards will only get you so far. So what do you do, then, when a student loses their motivation? 

The teachers that were polled are doing great things to try and combat lack of motivation in their classrooms. One second grade teacher said, “I try to make my lessons as engaging as I can, but with all new curriculum that is very scripted, it is really hard! I try to talk to them in a more “adult” way and explain why they should care about a certain activity or how I am still using a certain skill in my life as an adult and how they would need it too. I have taken a class on gamification and I have also received my technology endorsement so I try to implement and utilize technology in a meaningful way that engages, but most importantly, helps teach and reinforce. I have a lot of different management tools I implement (class jars, class money, table points, secret students, etc.) to help them stay focused and on task.”

Another teacher, who teaches grades 10-12 shared, “I scaffold or model the tasks and encourage them to develop the skills to learn how to manage these issues for themselves.”

A sixth grade teacher explained, “With the… motivation issues, I push my kids hard and hold them to high expectations… If they choose to sit around at school and waste the time, the assignment doesn’t just disappear. I’m trying to help them see the satisfaction in finishing and doing a good job!”

These are all great ideas! While the ultimate solution has to come from within each student, teachers and other adults and help students see the value in a job well done. Teachers have an incredibly awesome opportunity to help students understand just how powerful their minds can be. Once a student makes up their mind to be motivated and can truly see the value of learning and trying, amazing things start to happen, and the whole world opens up!

Building Confident Learners

“This is too hard! I can’t do it. I”m giving up!” How many times as an educator (or parent) have you heard those words? I’m not sure I could count the number of times I heard my students say things like that. To be honest, I know I’ve said those things to myself as an adult more than I probably should have. Sometimes things are hard and sometimes students do feel like giving up. I think a lot of times, it comes down to confidence, and I think there are many students who are still working on building their confidence. So what do you do when you have a student who needs a little confidence boost? 

Positive reinforcement is a huge factor in building confidence. People love to know when they’ve done something well. Even as adults, receiving validation is so satisfying. When students are younger, we often have to use extrinsic motivators to get students to do their work. Once they have the motivation, and they successfully complete a task, their confidence begins to build. Receiving positive feedback fosters a sense of pride. Knowing they did something well or correctly gives students a feeling of success. As a teacher, I always tried to give at least two positive bits of feedback for every negative or corrective bit of feedback. Letting students know they are doing well in something provides them with the confidence to keep going and to keep trying new things.

Students who lack confidence often benefit from a chance to lead. When given an opportunity to showcase their knowledge and skills, it provides them a chance to feel like what they can do and what they know is valuable, and that their efforts are important. Not only does the student who is leading benefit, but those that are learning from that student can also benefit. It should be noted that for students who are shy, asking them to lead or teach can be terrifying. While it is our job as a teacher to push students and help them grow, we should never put a student in a situation where they are feeling unsafe. If a student is hesitant about leading a whole class or large group, try having them lead a smaller group. 

Pushing students to solve problems and think through things is another great way to foster confidence. When a student successfully figures out how to solve a problem, they gain so much confidence in themselves. This is especially the case when they have to really work to figure it out, sometimes even failing a couple of times. Encouraging students to keep pushing through, even when they fail, is crucial. Giving them praise, little nudges in the right direction, and acknowledgement can go a long way in building confident learners. One of my kids is an innate problem solver. He loves finding solutions to things and loves working through problems. I’ve watched him time after time trying to solve problems he is faced with. He almost always has to start over a few times until he gets it right, but when he does, he is beaming with pride! He feels so confident in his abilities once he can see that his hard work paid off. It’s good to let students struggle through things. It really gives them a chance to get their brains working. It’s important for them to also know that sometimes we have to ask for help, and sometimes we need to take a break and come back to a problem with fresh eyes and a clear mind. 

Building confident learners is such an important part of a teacher’s job. Students need to know that they are capable of doing so many things. Confidence will help students feel successful, will empower them, and will fill them with a sense of pride that can’t come any other way. Knowing you are capable of doing hard things is something that every student should know. 

A Pumpkin for Everyone

The annual first-grade field trip to the pumpkin patch is coming up. All students in the first grade are allowed to go as long as permission slips have been signed.

However, in order to pick a pumpkin out at the end of the field trip, a $5 fee must be paid by a certain date.

$5 for a school field trip isn’t a huge ask for parents… but for some parents, it’s everything. It’s more than they can give to allow their child the simple indulgence of picking a pumpkin at the end of the field trip.

On the day of the event, several kids will leave the farm with a small pumpkin.

And several will walk away empty-handed.

Maybe the parent forgot to send the money. Maybe the parent truly could not afford the money. Maybe the money was swapped with a 5th grader at recess for a candy bar, I don’t know the circumstances.

But what I did know was that some kids would be walking away without a pumpkin. And my heart broke for those students, regardless of the why.

So we sent an extra $20. It wasn’t much. It may not even cover every single child in the classroom that didn’t pay the $5 fee.

But I’m helping how and when I can, and I’m working hard to teach my children to do the same.

To find the friend on the playground who doesn’t have anyone else to play with and invite them into your game.

To notice the classmate feeling down and ask how you can help.

Because school is really cool, and we are there to learn how to read and add up numbers. But we’re also there to learn how to be really awesome human beings full of empathy and service.

So pay the extra field trip money.

Send a second sandwich in their lunch for someone who needs it.

Donate the dry-erase markers.

Because when our kids see us treating others in schools this way, they’ll turn around and do the same.

No Funding For Field Trips? Try These Ideas

Is May field trip season for other schools too, not just ours? It’s such a busy time of the school year! 

I know we’re not alone with the struggle of under-funding for the school in general, but especially with field trips. However, it’s still important for our students to get out into our communities to learn and grow! Here are some ideas on how to hold field trips when funding isn’t available or is limited. 

Fundraise: I knooooow, I can hear the groans through the screen of your preferred device. Fundraising can be so daunting and exhausting, but it doesn’t have to be. Put the kids in charge! Let them brainstorm and help out as much as possible. And involve parents, too. This way you have help and everything doesn’t have to fall on you. The 1st graders in our school did a year-long fundraiser where they sold smelly pencils and erasers after school. One student was in charge each day and they worked together to raise money, enough to fund a field trip to the local bowling alley! 

Reach out to businesses/ field trip locations: Some zoos, aquariums, arcades, playlands, etc. are willing to offer grant applications or extremely reduced pricing for school field trips, especially if you qualify under Title I. It never hurts to ask what they are willing to do for you when funding is limited! 

Find free locations: If your school is close to a local park, library, college, grocery store, restaurant, business, etc. utilize these free locations to cut down on costs greatly! 

Walk, if possible: And if any of these locations are within a reasonable distance of your school, walk there! It’s like two field trips in one when you not only have the main activity, but the walk to and from as well! 

Ask for donations: I knooooow it’s almost worse than fundraising! Because it feels very vulnerable. But when your heart is in the right place trying to raise funds to bring your students on a field trip, it’s a worthwhile cause to ask others for help with funds. A simple letter home to parents about their plans for a field trip and what the cost will be while asking for help funding it, (and mentioning that even $1 helps!), can help raise you to your goal quickly. I know at least for me I’d rather just simply give my kid’s school money rather than jump through the hoops of fundraising. 

Look into virtual field trips/ Zooming with specialists: This became extremely popular in 2020 with the outbreak of COVID but has also been a practice for several years now. Virtual field trips can happen over Google, or you can find different specialists to schedule a Zoom call with for your class to chat with a zoologist or astronaut, or business owner, right from the comfort of your own classroom. 

There are so many benefits of field trips for any aged student, but that’s a post for another day! Needless to say, it’s worth it to put in the extra work and watch these students learn in a new environment. Field trips can be some of the most beneficial moments of their student careers! But they don’t have to be extravagant to be amazing. 

Cover photo by Kayla Wright

Child-Led Learning is Beautiful. And It Works.

Did you know that crocodiles don’t sweat? This is why you can oftentimes see pictures and videos of them with their mouths wide open, to cool them down. 

Did you also know that they can hold their breath for over an hour while they are underwater?! 

Another fun fact: crocodiles and hippos do not get along and will fight to the death if they come upon each other. 

Why the random crocodile facts? Because these are all things I’ve learned about crocodiles over the last several weeks while my son has taken a particular interest in them. It started with the National Geographic Croc vs. Hippo documentary on TV and has since escalated into YouTube videos, Googling random questions he throws my way, and many checked-out books from the library on crocodiles. 

It has reminded me that child-led learning is beautiful, and it works. I could have thrown together a crocodile unit for our at-home preschool at any point this school year, but his interest level would have never been as high had I brought forward the information. He saw something he was interested in and ready to learn about, so I followed his lead. 

A small handful of learning that I’ve witnessed from these last few weeks of crocodile learning: 

His ability to spout off random crocodile facts for anyone that will listen.
His recognition of the letter C has solidified. Because… C is for Crocodile!
He learned about different habitats and the difference between salt vs. fresh water.
His geographic knowledge of the globe has expanded.
His awareness of different cultures has grown.
His knowledge of technology and how it can be used for learning has been practiced. 

Child-led learning is beautiful, and it works. I can’t say how his learning would compare had I chosen a week to focus on the letter C and Cookie, but I’m fairly certain it wouldn’t have sparked as much excitement in him as learning about crocs did. 

Oh, and did you know? There are 14 different species of crocodiles on our Earth! How cool! 

Photo by Rene Ferrer

New Logo, Who Dis?

The time has come to unveil the new branding for our scholarship! As I stepped into the role of scholarship chair and content writer, I began noticing some variations in the way that those who came before me referred to the scholarship. The original name for our scholarship was the Design A Better Future scholarship (which I’m assuming came from the fact that the projects needs to be based on the design thinking cycle). But as the years went on, it also started being referred to as the Build A Better future scholarship and both titles started being used interchangeably.

In order to *hopefully* limit future confusion, I decided to update the scholarship logo and declare one title to be the official title from now on. The HGU scholarship will henceforth be known as the Build A Better Future scholarship. I felt as though using the verb “design” was too passive and wasn’t giving our applicants enough credit. Yes, they are using the design thinking cycle but they are also going above and beyond to bring their designs to life.

design a better future scholarship high school seniors

In addition to updating the logo and title, the website has been updated with all the information needed for our 2023 scholarship! I look forward to seeing how the next group of applicants works on building a better future for their communities. If you or anyone you know is a high school senior that will be graduating in 2023, you can find more information regarding the scholarship here and here. Please email scholarship@honorsgraduation.com with any questions. Good luck!

Nourishing the Seed

Here is a brief list of book recommendations for middle grade readers (3rd-6th Grade). Stay tuned for more recommendations and more age groups!

Hooky by Miriam Bonastre Tur

One scoop of graphic novel, one dash of fantastical adventure, and two heaping tablespoons of witch makes this book the perfect recipe (or spell!) for the hesitant reader in your life. With beautiful illustrations and an engaging storyline, this is the perfect way to introduce middle-grade readers to novels without making them feel like they are reading a novel.

“When Dani and Dorian missed the bus to magic school, they never thought they’d wind up declared traitors to their own kind! Now, thanks to a series of mishaps, they are being chased by powerful magic families seeking the prophesied King of Witches and royals searching for missing princes.” -HaperCollins Publishers

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

“Aven Green loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match, or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is she was born without them. And when her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona… she bonds with Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability, and they discover a room at Stagecoach Pass that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined.” -GoodReads

This book is the perfect reminder of the importance of friendship, courage, and acceptance (of yourself and others).

The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel

Nothing captivates a reader like the suspenseful twists and turns of a good mystery, and this book is no exception! Read aloud or read alone, you’ll find your readers on the edge of their seat.

With a dad who disappeared years ago and a mother who’s a bit too busy to parent, Emmy is shipped off to Wellsworth, a prestigious boarding school in England, where she’s sure she won’t fit in. But then she finds a box of mysterious medallions in the attic of her home with a note reading: These belonged to your father. When she arrives at school, she finds the strange symbols from the medallions etched into walls and books, which leads Emmy and her new friends, Jack and Lola, to Wellsworth’s secret society: The Order of Black Hollow Lane. Emmy can’t help but think that the society had something to do with her dad’s disappearance, and that there may be more than just dark secrets in the halls of Wellsworth…” -Sourcebooks

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Alright, this recommendation might come from a place of self-indulgence as this was a series that I absolutely LOVED as a kid. But I’ve also reread them as an adult, and they still hold up.

For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary is one of the last strongholds of true magic. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite . . . Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws keep order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, powerful forces of evil are unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to face the greatest challenge of their lives, to save their family, Fablehaven, and perhaps even the world.” -Shadow Mountain

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Boys don’t keep diaries—or do they? It’s a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you’re ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary.” -ABRAMS Publishing

Anyone who has been a kid, is a kid, has kids, or has even looked at a kid has heard of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This series is another resource to encourage disinterested readers. I mean, Jeff Kinney wouldn’t be able to write a 17-book series because kids aren’t reading his books, so he clearly knows a thing or two about getting kids excited about reading.

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar

Accidentally built sideways and standing thirty stories high (the builder said he was very sorry for the mistake), Wayside School has some of the wackiest classes in town, especially on the thirtieth floor. That’s where you’ll meet Bebe, the fastest draw in art class; John, who only reads upside down; Myron, the best class president ever; and Sammy, the new kid—he’s a real rat.” -HarperCollins Publishing

Comedic, clever, and kooky; this book has it all! With chapters that read like short stories, it is ideal for reading out loud. These far-fetched stories will fetch a laugh or two (or 89).