Motivating Difficult Students

How do you get those unmotivated students want to learn and do their best?  That was my ICDP goal this year.  To find strategies to "light a fire" under kids who show no excitement or desire to finish work...even in first grade.  I read a couple books, attended a conference, and participated in a blog to find that magic answer.  My findings consistently said the greatest motivator teachers can use with these difficult students is to build relationships with them.  By connecting with students, sharing in their interests, and building their trust, they will intrinsically want to perform well.  This was all very similar to our training with Capturing Kids Hearts and something I felt I have strived to achieve every year I have taught.  While I appreciated discovering even more strategies to connect with my students,  I didn't find any to motivate my targeted difficult students.  I resorted back to giving rewards for completed work, praising the smallest of efforts, using other students as models, and sharing successes on SeeSaw, along with contacting parents and having students finish work at a less desirable time of the day.  We all have those 2-3 unmotivated students in our room every year.  How do expert teachers find ways to make these students want to learn and do their best?