Motivating at Risk Students
- 1). Identify any obstacles to academic success that are outside the student's control. Meet with parents to determine what may be going on at home. Find out if the student is getting enough sleep and proper nutrition. Ask about medical history. If the kid has untreated medical issues, school performance can suffer. For example, some kids may not take prescribed medication as directed or need glasses. Find out if the student has reliable transportation to school. Make sure that parents provide a quiet and uncluttered space for the student to study and complete homework. Ask about any issues that may be affecting the family, e.g. a recent death, illness, legal troubles, divorce or drug abuse.
- 2). Work with parents to remedy any situations that are within their control. Take advantage of any programs available through the school or local agencies. For example, the student may qualify for a free breakfast program, free medical care or need to visit the school counselor. If you suspect that the student's home is an unsafe environment, do not hesitate to contact child protective services for assistance.
- 3). Plan a meeting with other teachers and school officials to collaborate. Ask around to find out if the student is experiencing problems with other kids. Take steps to alleviate adverse situations with other students, if possible. Find out which subjects are giving the student the most trouble as well as the subjects in which the student excels. Make sure that the student is at the appropriate level in all courses. He may be overwhelmed with subject matter that is too advanced or bored by material that is too elementary. If necessary, change the student's schedule to a more appropriate curriculum. Move the student to the front of the class in all courses. This will help to minimize distractions. Seek help from other teachers or tutors to get the student caught up and keep him on track.
- 4). Meet with the student in a non threatening setting. Try to get on his level and encourage some open communication about what is going on in his life. Find out what the student enjoys about his day. Due to budget cuts and curriculums that revolve around standardized tests, many kids are missing out on sports, music and art. For some kids, this means that there is nothing about school that they look forward to each day. If any of these missing subjects were the student's favorites, he may have given up on school entirely. Find a way to incorporate something that the student likes into each day. Encourage him to get involved in extracurricular activities in the community.
- 5). Find out what the kid wants to do when grows up. Engage him in ongoing discussions about college, career and the type of life he wants to have as an adult. Help him to see the path to reach his goals. Sometimes, kids simply don't know the possibilities. Often all an at risk student needs is for someone to believe in him. Let him know that with hard work, he can reach any goal that he sets for himself.
- 6). Make sure that the student has both immediate and future rewards for his hard work in school. Some kids have a sense of the future while some are much more present oriented. The idea that present actions have future consequences comes with maturity level. Thus, earning a class pizza party might be a bigger motivator to a kid than increasing the possibility of getting into law school in 10 years. If possible, set up a token economy in the classroom wherein students are rewarded for good grades with treats of some kind. Work with parents to ensure that reward systems are reinforced at home. Motivation is different for everyone. Tap into what types of things would most motivate the kid to do well and use them. For example, if the student loves to play basketball, remind him that the school requires a certain GPA to participate in sports.
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