One of the hardest challenges we face as educators is working with someone who isn’t motivated. I bet someone popped into your mind the moment you read the title of this post.
What makes motivating an unmotivated person so challenging? During our professional learning day last week, I heard, read it in the virtual chat, and talked to a few people about this topic, and it’s a significant point of frustration. I know many of you can relate to this. So, I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit as I am experiencing an unmotivated child at home. Well, she’s intrinsically motivated when she’s interested!
Let’s start with how we define motivation: the general desire or willingness of someone to do something. So, if motivation is about one’s will, how do we help ignite that spark without forcing it? The truth is we can’t motivate someone, but we can create the right conditions to inspire it. We can coax, threaten, bribe, beg, or lecture, but these strategies may breed short-lived results. My wife and I continue to try new things and have found that we have to keep the ideas fresh by making connections between my daughter’s interests (at the time) and the homework or other tasks she needs to complete. What makes this even more challenging is that, like many of you, my wife and I are intrinsically motivated—and always have been—so it’s hard to understand why others aren’t. This lack of understanding can lead to judgment, frustration, and apathy.
If you are in the same boat, Here are a few practical strategies that have worked for my family and may be helpful in your classroom:
Set Clear Goals– Set clear, attainable goals so they can experience success. However, it’s important to note that setting these goals can be a challenge, as they need to be both challenging and achievable. Maintain high expectations but break them into manageable steps to help students experience success.
Give Responsibilities– Making students responsible for tasks that help the classroom or lab function better increases the likelihood of them understanding what it feels like to be motivated from within. Be sure the responsibilities aren’t punishments but add value to others, including those responsible. For example, assigning a student to organize materials or lead a warm-up activity can foster a sense of ownership.
Make Learning Relatable– Learn about your students’ interests—what they’re reading, watching, listening to, or doing outside of school—and connect that to the content. For instance, if a student is interested in sports, you can use sports statistics to teach math. If a student is a fan of a particular book series, you can use that series as a basis for a literature lesson. This might require adjusting how you deliver instruction, but the payoff is worth it.
My daughter’s interests change often, so we have to listen carefully during our conversations to learn how to connect them to upcoming tasks. For example, she loves listening to podcasts, which are about 15-20 minutes long. Over the weekend, I set a timer for 20 minutes for her to complete an assignment and gave her a five-minute break. During the break, she challenged me to a game of Speed or Checkers. Once the break was over, she got back to work.
Positive Feedback– My daughter thrives on written and verbal praise. We’ve learned to highlight her effort, especially when she’s learning something new, to help her recognize the feeling of intrinsic motivation. Strive for balance—too much praise can lead to complacency, while excessive criticism can discourage progress.
Collaborative Learning– Learning is social. Providing opportunities for students to work together improves engagement and develops essential employability skills. What better way to strengthen collaboration than through group tasks and projects?
Motivating an unmotivated student isn’t about having the perfect strategy—it’s about trying, reflecting, and adjusting. This week, identify one unmotivated student and apply one strategy consistently for two weeks. Reflect on what works, what doesn’t, and what adjustments you can make. This process of reflection and adjustment is a powerful tool in your hands. Share your experience with a colleague—or better yet, with the whole team.
You don’t have to be an educator to try these strategies. If you, a family member or a colleague need a push, try one yourself, then celebrate the progress!
Be Great,
Dwight