If there is one thing that I have learned so far in homeschooling this year is that I am not naturally good at motivating unwilling learners. I have little patience and energy when it comes to helping someone else see the benefit of working hard or pushing past a lack of interest in a topic for the purpose of learning more about it. Since I face this struggle at my school table several times a week, I felt it wise to arm myself with some strategies to help combat the eye-rolls and grumpy huffs.
I don’t want to reward with food, candy (unless it is a cannoli for me, then it’s always acceptable!) or money. So what are my other options?
What I am learning about this age range is the need to see the benefit of learning, whether they see the immediate results or not. It’s hard, but helping them look towards the future is important. I also see the benefit of resetting our minds with healthy thoughts that counteract destructive thoughts and maximize the idea of working hard and valuing the learning process. You can find all kinds of printable posters and coloring sheets to use as helpful reminders of these ideas.
When it comes down to it, though, sometimes my kids just need a little motivator to get through the slump of the hard task. Here is the beginning of my growing list of ideas:
- Take short breaks.
- Provide a short-term ending, such as “work hard for ten more minutes and then we will…”
- Switch up the routine of the day.
- Move to a new location if possible, such as the coffee shop, library, park, or another fun place.
- FaceTime/skype with someone that is more knowledgeable about a topic and ask discussion questions or with someone who knows very little about the topic and then your student can act as the teacher.
- Do a fun project related to the topic and ask your learner to add an additional 3 or 4 facts to the presentations.
Have you found ways to motivate your middle schoolers? What works for you? What has flopped big time?
Lindsay Banton is a caffeinated mother with three great kids. She never expected to homeschool, but has found that it is a wonderful addition to their lifestyle and wouldn’t change it for the world. In addition to homeschooling, Lindsay works alongside her husband in campus ministry at a large university in Connecticut. She grew up in Virginia but has settled into life in New England, learning to love the long winters, cool springs, green summers and gorgeous autumns- and has built a boot collection to meet all the demands. She is currently blogging at www.oaksreplanted.blogspot.com.
