Are you trying to motivate students to behave better, to work hard, or to accomplish and achieve greatness?
....There are a lot of things a teacher can do to help motivate their students, but the person who controls how much work the kid does is the kid, not the teacher.
"Nonschool factors do influence student achievement, but they are largely outside a school's control Some research suggests that, compared with teachers, individual and family characteristics may have four to eight times the impact on student achievement. But policy discussions focus on teachers because it is arguably easier for public policy to improve teaching than to change students' personal characteristics or family circumstances. Effective teaching has the potential to help level the playing field. www.rand.org
This article outlines seven potential reasons why kids won't work. Then, possible solutions to the problem are listed as well as a few resources I found helpful and valid. I hope you find something here that will help a student in your classroom! If you see any more good resources, please let me know!
- They don't understand how or what to do.
- The student is a perfectionist; trapped in a faulty mindset that every line has to be perfect and is easily frustrated with mistakes. (Click on this link for Growth Mindset resources.)
- Entitlement mindset: The student has been previously (erroneously) taught that the artwork s/he does is always perfect, that there can be no room for improvement because art represents who they are.
- The student has "learned helplessness" and wants constant feedback from the teacher instead of buckling down and getting to work.
- S/he believes Art is not important and thus hard work is unnecessary.
- The student wasn't paying attention during the demonstration/lesson.
- The student has friends in the class and is more motivated to play than work.
- The student doesn't feel like working/doesn't want to work.
- S/he doesn't have to pass the class to advance a grade.
- Defiant attitude - the student doesn't want to submit to the teacher because either s/he has an inflated ego or the teacher has not yet won the respect of the student.
- The student is seeking attention by talking too much, not working, or wanting excessive help.
- The student knows the teacher will not hold him/her accountable for working hard.
3. A PERCEPTION THAT THE CLASS ISN'T FUN
- There is a dislike for the teacher, or a belief that the teacher doesn't like the student.
- They don't like the project media, style, etc.
- The project does not personally relate to them.
artwork credit: doodlealley.com |
- The student is afraid of failure, of looking stupid and incompetent.
- The student has had a pattern of failure at school, and has given up. S/he believes the work is too difficult to attempt.
- The student is bored because the work is too easy.
- The student is unengaged because s/he is tired of working on the project.
6. HEALTH
- The student is stressed, suffers from lack of sleep, sick, or hungry.
- The teacher's experience and attitude can either help or harm student motivation:
- The teacher gives vague instructions, is unenthusiastic, negative, talks too much or too fast, expects students to perform at a too high (or too low) level than they are capable, or does not take into consideration the interests of the student. Also, if the teacher inconsistently hold students accountable (ignores misbehavior), this can create a chaotic environment in which the temptation to be lazy flourishes.
8th graders motivated with real easels. They worked like artists on this! |
I tell them that they will not like everything they create, and that some people who love to draw don’t like the unpredictable nature of paint/clay: some people who dislike drawing are gifted designers, etc. I throw out a lot of different kinds of projects so they can find something they can be successful with! Also, I try to provide as many choices as possible and to create an environment where it is okay to fail. ("The road to success is paved with failure.") The bottom line, though, is that 99% of success is hard work. Chuck Close once said, "Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and work. Every idea I ever had came out of the work."
1. RELATIONSHIPS: click on this link for more information
- Developing positive relationships with kids is one of the MOST powerful things a teacher can do to help a student do well in class...
- “Many popular teachers are strict; yet, at the same time, they treat students in a friendly and respectful manner, they make their classes as interesting as possible, and they try to make every student feel a part of the class. Such teachers are both liked and respected, and they wield a great deal of power with students.” Dr. Irvin King, "One Man's Perspective of Discipline in the Schools"
- What Building Relationships With Students Really Means, Michael Linsin
- "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." Steven Covey ... Have you surveyed your students to find out about their likes/dislikes? Do you know what kinds of projects they enjoy and which they hate?
- .....Try something messy like paper mache or clay instead of drawing. There are actually very few kids who are highly motivated to draw really nice, sophisticated drawings. However, almost all students are motivated to get their hands dirty and build! Most students we teach will not become professional artists, and it is important to foster an appreciation for art, keeping it fun.
- Make your instructions clear and concise to avoid student confusion...do they understand the "big idea" behind what they are doing? How does it relate to their lives? What's the point of doing it? How exactly do they accomplish the objectives of the project? Detailed rubrics really help make the "invisible visible" for my students. If it is clearly in writing, they are much more likely to try to meet the criteria for the project.
- Giving students as much ownership in their learning as possible will go a long way toward engagement! Teaching For Artistic Behavior (TAB): this pedagogy is one that I am currently researching in order to try it in my classroom. It is an excellent way to motivate kids, and it seems to be one of the BEST ways to foster creativity and problem solving in the classroom. It takes a lot of courage to hand the reigns over to students, putting them in charge of their learning! Providing as many choices as possible within the constructs of an assignment is a win-win. Resource website: Teaching For Artistic Behavior.....Facebook Resources: TAB Choice & Midwest TAB Choice, and here is one of the best breakdowns of how to set up a TAB classroom: TAB MAEA Shared, (Google Docs)
Teach them how to think; teach them about their own unlimited capabilities; teach them about the universal power of visual art.
"When students respect the teacher for the knowledge s/he possesses, when they master significant knowledge and skills, and when they feel good about themselves because they are achieving, they are less likely to misbehave." Dr. Irvin King
Behavior Expectations and How To Teach Them; Aaron Hogan, Edutopia.org
Advocate...teach your students about the value of art: Why Art Teachers Are the Most Important Teachers In the School, Matt Fussell, virtualinstructor.com
- Allow yourself to make mistakes in front of them so they can see how you handle it. Make your thought processes visible to the kids, be an example.
- Also, teach your students about the Growth vs. Fixed Mindset.
- If they think they will be unsuccessful with a project, show them all the ways they have already succeeded...look for ways to praise their efforts. Have high expectations for your students! Everyone has the capability to learn, and we all learn in different ways. There are no excuses for not trying just because we think the end result will be mediocre at best. Everyone has to start somewhere! These videos might help:
4. DISCIPLINE; if students won't work, and you know there isn't another issue (health, lack of understanding, etc.), they just might need a little motivation in the form of a negative consequence. Click on this link to read more about discipline. ... This link takes you to the page, "Discipline Assignments For Art."
5. POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT; REWARD POWER; ENCOURAGEMENT, INCENTIVES, & PRIVILEGES; click on this link for more information
- Providing authentic praise and encouragement, and even rewards can help tremendously. Use rewards and incentives carefully, though; overuse can backfire, leading to a lack of motivation. These also lose effectiveness with older students.
- The more positive remarks you make, the more you look for ways to authentically praise your students' efforts, the more they will be encouraged to do well.
Whether you believe you can or you believe you can't, you're right.
8th grade self-portrait by Brittany |
Is This Good Enough?, article by Mrs. Anna Nichols
"I Hate Art!", article by Mrs. Anna Nichols
Making Art Fun For a Perfectionist Kid, arthistorykids.com, by Lotus Stewart
Strategies To Build Intrinsic Motivation, by David Palank, edutopia.org
6 Ways We Kill Students' Motivation, by Chase Mielke, weareteachers.com
"8 Ways to Fuel Your Students' Intrinsic Motivation," by Michael Linsin
5 Innovative Methods For Maximum Motivation, by Ian Sands, theartofed.com
3 Ways To Channel Your Fears Into Creativity, by Meera Lee Patel, www.artsy.net
Artists Are Re-drawing Their Old Work To Show How Much They've Improved, by Sara Barnes, mymodernmet.com
How Poverty Affects Classroom Engagement, Eric Jensen
Nudges That Help Struggling Students Succeed, David L. Kirp, The New York Times
What To Say To Calm An Anxious Child, lemonlimeadventures.com
Jessica Balsley (theartofed.com) has a list of 50 Positive Ways to Reward students in the art classroom.
175 PBIS Incentives for High School, pbisrewards.com
5 Questions To Ask Yourself About Unmotivated Students, Jennifer Gonzalez, Cult of Pedagogy
3 Methods To Motivate the Unmotivated, by Jill Jenkins, Edutopia.org
How To Help Students Develop Ideas, theunstandardizedstandard, by Amber Kane
How To Get Your Students Unstuck and Out of I Can't Mode, theunstandardizedstandard, by Amber Kane
Strategies For Reaching Quiet, Disengaged, Struggling, and Troublemaking Students, David Cutler, Edutopia
10 Things About Childhood Trauma Every Teacher Needs To Know, We Are Teachers
8 Things Teachers Do To Cause Boredom, Michael Linsin
Simple Classroom Management Solutions For the High School Art Room, Timothy Bogatz, theartofed
Essential Steps To Turn Art I Students Into Artists, by Matt Christenson, theartofed.com
Avoiding Learned Helplessness, Andrew Miller, Edutopia
NAESP; Getting Beyond the Entitlement Mindset,
Edwin Colbert
Five Signs of Entitlement In Our Kids, Tim Elmore
19 Daily Habits of Artists That Can Help Unlock Your Creativity, Katherine Brooks, Huffington Post Arts & Culture
What I Really Wish I Would Have Said To The Teacher Who Called To Talk About My Child's Behavior, Cherie Lowe, Today Parenting Team
3 Ways To Motivate Your Students On Tough Days, Melissa Purtee, theartofed.com
Dan Pink on Motivation, TED Talk, author speaks about motivation in a business setting, suitable for high school
"Students who show little or no effort are simply giving you feedback. When you liked your teacher, you worked harder. When the learning got you excited, curious, and intrigued, you put out more effort. We've all seen how students will often work much harder in one class than in another. The feedback is about themselves—and about your class. Take on the challenge. Invest in students who are not putting out effort. In a study of more than 1,800 children from poverty, school engagement was a key factor in whether the student stayed in school (Finn & Rock, 1997)." How Poverty Affects Classroom Engagement, Eric Jensen
"It is a lot easier to be satisfied in life when you have low standards. It is easy to be lazy. We learn to stick with what we are already good at, avoid what we are not good at, and try to steer clear of looking foolish and taking risks. We learn to have low expectations for ourselves. We learn low standards and laziness and the defiant attitude that no one can judge me or try to hold me to a higher standard." Matt Appling, Life After Art
French Mailman Spends 33 Years Building Epic Palace From Pebbles Collected On His 18 Mile Mail Route, boredpanda.com
Editor's note: Managing student behavior involves far more than discipline techniques. In order to create an environment for student success, the teacher needs to provide quality instruction as well as appropriate motivation. Most importantly, the teacher needs to have the right attitude for leadership in the classroom. Finally, having a solid classroom management plan with rules and procedures set up from the beginning of the year is also extremely important - students need to be very clear about what the teacher's expectations are.
disclaimer: These are a set of ideas about being proactive in teaching based on classroom experience as well as various education authors. Many times there are circumstances in the classroom that are beyond any teacher's control, especially when serving at-risk populations or in environments where those in administration fail to provide effective leadership in a school. Sometimes, regardless of the prevailing theories about teacher responsibility, the teacher is not to be blamed for out of control students. Finally, we do NOT recommend that you put any of these strategies into practice if your administration disagrees with them.
article by Mrs. Anna Nichols