#5

In order for you to fully understand why your students aren't motivated, you need to understand what the students deal with on a daily basis. Life for them is tougher than ever, especially when most of them have multiple extracurricular activities, teen pregnancy is prevalent, and they are exposed to drugs and alcohol at younger ages than ever.

Here are just a few things I have heard from students and fellow teachers over the past few months:

"He stopped talking and doing his schoolwork after his grandma got killed."

"They want me to go to their games and stuff because sometimes I'm the only one there to cheer them on."

"I'm not doing this crap. This is stupid. Ms. Martin, does she think we're stupid or something?"

"I mean, they don't do their work, they threaten the teacher and sleep during class, and then they wonder why they make bad grades!"

"This is busy work, that's all it is. Why should I do it? She ain't even going to look at it."

"Yeah, I've got a job. I work over at Jack's. I've got bills to pay, Ms. Martin, you know?"

"I just like ROTC, I don't like sitting in this art class, I'm not doing nothing."

After reading these quotes, remember that these students are young. Most of them were only in the 8th or 9th grade. They have a lot of attitude, but can't you tell they can tell when we aren't giving them what they need and deserve? I witnessed the classes with the busy work, and teacher that thought they were stupid. They were right to feel that way.


We owe the kids more than that. We need to give them the motivation they need to care about their work. They deserve it.