No matter their grade level or maturity, students are often difficult to motivate in the classroom. Some have preconceived ideas about their lack of abilities, while others do not see the importance of particular subjects or assignments. When students try to resist being active participants in the classroom or finishing their homework assignments, their teachers and parents can become equally frustrated and unsure how to improve those students’ attitudes and behaviors. Kids’ low motivation and teachers’ concern about the best way to address it have become the subjects of many articles and books focused on encouraging kids to learn.
1. Motivating Students to Learn
Written by Jere Brophy specifically for teachers dealing with low motivation in the classroom, this book focuses on the principles of getting students to participate and leads directly into discussions of applicable strategies. Teachers can appreciate that Brophy stays true to the realities of the classroom, standardized testing and governmental mandates. When all of these outside influences threaten students’ in-class motivation, Brophy’s book targets students who are discouraged and disaffected, as well as those who represent minority groups. Reflection questions at the end of each chapter encourage teachers to consider their own classrooms in the context of the principles and strategies.
2. Essential Motivation in the Classroom
This book focuses not just on teachers learning how to motivate students, but also on those children learning how to motivate themselves. Ian Gilbert details his seven keys of motivation in the classroom, providing insights, ideas and possible strategies that educators can put to work almost immediately. In addition to the useful classroom motivation tactics, Gilbert weaves entertaining anecdotes and quotations from a wide variety of sources, including philosophers and Homer Simpson. Teachers of all grade and socioeconomic levels can find methods to apply in this book.
3. The Motivated Student: Unlocking the Enthusiasm for Learning
Parents and educators have tried the traditional reward-punishment system time and again, but as Bob Sullo suggests in his book, it is not an effective means of driving students’ internal motivation. According to Sullo, parents and educators must first tackle those unmotivated students’ psychological needs. Covering students in grades 4-12, this book provides a blueprint for classroom engagement, including clear-cut and practical strategies for student focus and learning. With an emphasis on developing student-teacher relationships and activities’ relevance to students’ lives, Sullo outlines a path to enthusiasm.
4. How to Motivate Reluctant Learners
Robyn R. Jackson’s book focuses on one of the most unmotivated groups of all students: reluctant learners. Whether these students are actively or passively resisting classroom activities, Jackson outlines a step-by-step guide to interesting these students through meaningful, observable and realistic methods. The book indicates that individualized plans for each student’s motivation, taking into account the specific reasons for resistance must be implemented, and Jackson shows readers how to design and begin these plans.
5. Teachers as Classroom Coaches: How to Motivate Students Across the Content Areas
Concentrating on student inspiration as the means to meaningful motivation, authors Andi Stix and Frank Hrbek set out to create coaching strategies for educators. In the opinions of these authors, teachers should not be dictators of the classroom; instead, they should lead and encourage their students throughout the educational process. The book is indicated for all content areas, applying the methods of professional coaches to subject areas, group work, organizational skills and even conflict resolution. According to Stix and Hrbek, empowered students are motivated students, and their book provides that path.
Students can be difficult to engage and motivate in the classroom. These books provide a wealth of knowledge, resources and application strategies for immediate review and implementation to get kids motivated.
