What To Do When Students Refuse To Work

Being a teacher or guardian gets tougher when dealing with students who turn away from their responsibilities. There are a number of reasons why this may happen. Our role as teachers is to guide them and get them back on track. So, what can you do with students who refuse to work?

The best approach when dealing with a student who refuses to work is first to identify the source of resistance. Once this hurdle is overcome, the teacher can make the work more manageable, boost the student’s motivation level, and utilize positive reinforcement. Informing the parents of the student’s refusal to work should be considered if necessary.

There are multiple strategies to help students improve their attitude toward work, and the following sections will dive deep into each of them. Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

What To Do When a Student Refuses To Work?

Here is what you can do when a student refuses to work:

Establish trust between you and the student.
Ask the student why they aren’t complying with schoolwork.

Study the student’s behavior patterns.
Make the work more manageable for the student.
Teach and practice time management skills.

Motivate the student.
Be patient with the student.
Give positive reinforcement.

Explain the consequences of not doing work.
Communicate with parents.

1. Establish Trust Between You and the Student

Before you can help, you need to let the students know they can trust you. Unless they feel comfortable opening up, it’ll be extremely challenging to be on the same page and address the problem effectively.

Hence, we must start by identifying ways to earn your student’s trust.

Talk With The Student About Anything (Other Than Work)

Diving right in and asking about the main issue can be counterproductive. Although your intentions are good, the student may not be ready to open up just yet, so they can become more reserved and uncooperative.

Therefore, building trust with the student is crucial, and luckily, you can make significant strides just with a few meaningful conversations.

Asking your students genuine questions like “How are you?” or “How was your weekend?” means a lot to them. They will start seeing you as more than just a teacher whose sole objective is to get work out of them.

A conversation is a dialogue, so sharing small snippets about yourself, like your favorite sports team, will encourage the student to reciprocate.

Referencing details that students have previously shared with you gives them an assurance that you listen and care about what they say.

Keep the conversations light and separate from academic work. In a short time, you should notice that the student feels more comfortable talking to you. Not only this, but the student will likely demonstrate greater motivation and enthusiasm in class – a glorious by-product of building trust.

Be Relatable

Another way to build rapport is by being relatable. This approach results in at least two perks: the student regaining some confidence in themselves, as well as you earning their trust, both of which increase the chances of solving the issue of non-compliance.

When creating authentic relationships with students, discovering things in common is essential. Start by finding out their interests. From music to TV, sports to books, get to know your students more than just academically.

Make pockets of time throughout the day to consciously attempt to learn more about your students. Ask them if they are part of any clubs or groups; inquire about what they did during the break; find out what foods they love and which ones they can’t stand.

Just as long as you don’t ask questions that are too personal or sensitive, your students will appreciate your efforts to get to know them better.

I put much emphasis on gaining students’ trust, as this sets the foundation of the entire conversation you’ll be having as you try to solve the issue. Without trust and rapport, engaging the students in a meaningful discussion on how they can do better will be impossible.

Moreover, being in an authoritative position makes you more credible. And when you tell your students that rising above their current difficulties is possible as long as they work on it, they’ll be more likely to believe you.

It is worth noting that you should always stay composed and professional. The student needs to be comfortable around you, but at the same time, they need to remember you’re a person of authority.

2. Ask the Student Why They Aren’t Complying With Schoolwork

Once you’ve established a solid foundation of trust, you may now get to the bottom of things and ask them why they aren’t able to submit their work.

Keep a calm tone when doing this. Just because you believe they trust you doesn’t mean you can let out your frustration on their unfinished tasks, as this will still likely leave them overwhelmed.

When the moment is right, ask the student how they are finding the work and if they need any help with the tasks. Your approach should be seen as supportive rather than disciplinary. You could try saying, “I noticed that your work from yesterday was not completed. Is there anything I can help with?”

Try to avoid interrupting with any assumptions or preconceptions. Giving them a chance to open up eases them into the conversation and brings you closer to understanding the underlying reasons for their poor attitude toward work.

For instance, the student may reveal that they cannot see the board, so they struggle to keep up with the learning. You can identify solutions to fix the issue after, but first, you have to listen and be open-minded.

Any discussions about the student’s reluctance to complete tasks should be held privately. The last thing either of you needs is an audience and disruption to the flow of the lesson.

If you have to call attention to them during the lesson, keep it brief and to the point, and then follow up with the student at the end of the lesson.

3. Study the Student’s Behavior Patterns

Often, your students don’t even know how to help themselves, especially when their stress levels are high. At this point, they’re likely to switch to survival mode and can even develop negative coping mechanisms and pour their time into totally unrelated tasks.

This is why it’s crucial to help students identify the root cause of their escapism. What’s it about the tasks at hand that make them undoable? The reasons will usually be vague at first, as even they themselves don’t know for sure.

Keep a close eye on the student and watch out for cues. Does the student’s body language or facial expression change at any particular point? Do they behave differently prior to their refusal to complete the work?

Monitoring and looking out for signs can help you identify where in the learning process is causing the most anxiety for the student.

It shouldn’t come as much surprise, but most students who are reluctant to do the work will start exhibiting unusual behavior patterns just after the task is set. As soon as independent or group work time starts, they may ask to go to the toilet; they might complain that they are not feeling well, or they might start a conversation about unrelated topics.

These are clear signs that the student feels unsure or unmotivated towards the work. Now, you can think about steps to address the issue.

4. Make the Work More Manageable For the Student

While some may understand your instructions easily, others may need help to fully grasp some concepts. So it is imperative to be flexible when setting your student’s learning objectives and expectations.

Teachers are expected to differentiate the instructions and tasks to cater to all students’ needs. If you predict that your weaker students will not be able to access the primary learning, then make the lesson less challenging for them by providing sentence starters or supplementary resources.

A strategy I suggest when doing this is using a mind map to create manageable versions of the material.

The main branches of the mind map contain the class requirements, and each branch expands to list what each deliverable entails. You can help them outline the main requirements for each task and locate the stress points. The stress points are the elements of the task that may seem daunting or too complex to the student.

The student can assign time frames per branch to ensure they meet their new deadlines.

Using mind maps for your to-do-list is discussed in this YouTube video below by Sheng Huang:

A similar, more conventional approach would be to create a checklist for the student. A checklist allows you to break the task into smaller, more manageable chunks. For instance, instead of a 30-minute writing assignment, break it down into smaller parts. Five minutes to write the first sentence, 10 minutes to write the next two sentences, and so on.

A breakdown of tasks like this makes it feel less overwhelming for students. That, in turn, makes them less likely to refuse to do the work.

A written outline of the more manageable chunks would be best, as they can quickly look at it even after your discussion.

Student accommodations don’t necessarily make assignments easier; they give students more options for how to approach them. The goal is to help students learn strategies to get on task and independently meet their learning goals.

Often, students refuse to work because they cannot access the learning if they lack the skills or prior knowledge. By making the work more manageable, teachers are providing different entry points to learners, making the lesson accessible to all.

5. Teach and Practice Time Management Skills

The ability to start a task immediately is an impressive talent. Tasks take longer and require more effort when someone struggles to initiate, which can be highly frustrating for both educators and students.

A lack of task initiation skills can be misinterpreted as behavioral problems or defiance. It appears as if the child is avoiding what they should be doing, but in reality, they may not have the skills to get themselves started. And time management is one of the essential skills needed to complete tasks.

Students typically put off work thinking they’ve already run out of time, but this is just a symptom of the issue.

Prioritizing responsibilities is a good place to start when teaching about time management. Work with the student to outline the tasks that are expected to be completed. Once you’ve laid out a timeline for these tasks, the student will need to distinguish the importance of each assignment, along with the ones that don’t accept late submissions and those that are more lenient with delays.

Another simple strategy is the use of a countdown timer. Students will feel a sense of urgency to complete their work if there is a clear reminder of how much time they have. Teachers can place a sand timer in front of the student or display a digital timer on the board.

The goal is to help students understand the importance of using their time wisely, so it’s vital to help them build a realistic routine geared toward finishing tasks. Depending on the student’s age, the routine must also incorporate how much endurance the student has and the types of activities they need to do to feel relaxed.

Failure to meet deadlines repeatedly shows that students don’t have existing skills that help them keep up with requirements. Teaching and practicing time management will guide the student in tackling their assignments without getting overwhelmed.

6. Motivate the Student

A significant reason why students refuse to work is due to a lack of motivation and interest.

There will be students who are naturally motivated due to their love of learning, but there will also be others who are apathetic toward school for one reason or another. It’s a teacher’s duty to put in place strategies that will boost the motivation of these students so they don’t get left behind.

Here are some tips to motivate your students in your class:

Promote a growth mindset by praising them for their efforts and hard work instead of their abilities. Alluding to academic ability will result in some students feeling inferior to their peers, leading to a loss of motivation. Instead, commenting on hard work and effort – things that all students can demonstrate – can motivate the entire class.
Provide timely and constructive feedback. Students should receive regular feedback from formative and summative assessments to update them on their progress. If a child is aware that they are improving – however small or big it may be – they will be more motivated to keep making strides. It also allows students to be more reflective on their own development, making them more self-aware of areas they can work on further.
Set clear goals and high expectations for behavior and academic work. It’s essential to set clear goals to ensure students understand what you expect them to do and achieve. In addition, be sure you support them whenever they face difficulties or challenges in meeting those goals and expectations. Students will be more motivated if they feel supported through their struggles. Similarly, be clear about your expectations regarding behavior.

Another effective way of motivating students is by creating fun and engaging lessons.

There are some specific ways of learning that my students adore, so I try to utilize them as much as possible. For example, scavenger hunt activities are a firm favorite. Hide questions around the playground or school where students must locate them before answering. The idea is simple and works with any subject, so why not give it a try?

Here are some other ways you can make lessons engaging for your students:

Play more educational games.
Create more hands-on learning experiences.
Incorporate more role-play activities.

Have students present their work to the class more often.

If the class has access to technological devices such as laptops or tablets, take advantage of the numerous fun educational games found online. Here are some tried and tested websites that my students love using:

Kahoot.com

Blooket.com
Gimkit.com
Prodigygame.com

Students who often refuse to work are more likely to participate if they are motivated and engaged.

7. Be Patient With the Student

With all the steps listed above, it may get frustrating when the student still fails to do as they promised or to keep up with your expectations. This is why another important thing to do with students who refuse work is to show them patience.

Patience is a virtue, especially for teachers. Students won’t feel safe or encouraged if you’re constantly losing your temper with them, yelling, or getting frustrated, so it’s best to practice patience at all times.

Moreover, missed work is usually a sign of anxiety, low self-confidence, or a lack of skills and knowledge. By being patient with them, you’re also teaching them to be patient with themselves.

This soft skill will always come in handy when they meet a roadblock they can’t seem to overcome. Patience keeps them going even when things don’t work the first time, and what better way to teach patience than leading by example?

Be reflective with yourself frequently about how you might be coming off to another individual.

Avoid getting into a power struggle – no one benefits from that! Valuable time and energy are consumed when the student and teacher clash. Even if the student eventually complies, it will be filled with resentment and hard feelings.

Here are some of my top tips for how to improve your patience:

Practice mindfulness every day. Start your days with a few minutes of practicing mindfulness to set yourself up for success. If you’re experiencing a difficult moment in the classroom, take a few deep breaths before engaging with your students.

Get a good night’s sleep and ensure you get enough nourishment throughout the day. This is extremely important. However hard you try, you’re less likely to practice patience with your students if you’re tired or hungry. Make sure you get 7-8 hours of sleep each night and keep yourself well-nourished and hydrated. I always keep a bottle of water on my desk to remind myself to hydrate.
Start journaling. You can use a journal as a safe place to express any challenges and frustrations. This way, the next time you feel irritated, you can tell yourself that you can journal about the experience later and channel your frustration there.

A kind, reasonable tone can be all that’s needed to convince the student to focus on the task. Your students will appreciate your patience in the long run and will try their best to complete the work you have set.

8. Give Positive Reinforcement

When helping students, it’s always helpful to humanize them and remember that they usually respond to whatever reinforcement they receive. Giving positive reinforcement for each finished task helps motivate students, and they’re likely to want to recreate the reasons leading to such.

On the contrary, if you only respond to small accomplishments with unhelpful comments such as “You need to work faster” or “You need to improve your work,” your student might become stressed, demotivated, and overwhelmed with the tasks. The added pressure prevents them from enduring the more difficult tasks and may only bring them back to square one.

As you employ your lesson plan and encourage students to participate, teachers must be able to provide rewards and recognition for the work that students produce.

This recognition could be as simple as handing out a sticker, stamping their hand with a star, or something that will tell them that they have done a great job. It highlights what you expect from them and encourages them to continue demonstrating those desired actions and traits.

For students who are reluctant to do work, incentivizing them with rewards will likely increase their enthusiasm and participation. It also boosts your students’ self-esteem.

Rewards do not have to be material in nature. It could be an intangible privilege, like allowing students to sit where they like for a day. Another firm favorite with students is allowing them additional screen time on their devices.

A positive reinforcement tool that I would recommend is Class Dojo, where students can receive dojo points for specific agreed reasons. We would almost always include an expectation related to showing good effort to complete tasks.

Once students earn a certain number of dojo points, they can receive a reward. For me, the students who have accumulated ten dojo points by the end of the week are rewarded with “free time.”

9. Explain the Consequences of Not Doing Work

When a student opts to take the escapist route and refuses to do work, they may think it’s the more comfortable option.

Unfortunately for them, the consequences of missed submissions will soon creep in, and they wouldn’t be the slightest bit comfortable when that happens.

Hence, while the goal is to help your student be more efficient in doing their work, they also need to realize that missing submissions will have longer-lasting consequences. Deductions accumulate and result in poor grades.

You should have reprimands in place for students who continually refuse to do work. For example, some time can be taken off from their break or recess to give them the opportunity to catch up on or complete work missed. It should be noted that students, and teachers for that matter, are lawfully entitled to a break, so be mindful about the proportion of time taken off from the students’ recess.

Consequences should not come as a surprise to your students. As you discuss and set out your classroom rules at the start of the year, also mention the potential consequences of not following the expectations.

Remember, though, that you need to help your students pinpoint the cause of their reluctance to do work before going into the consequences. Realizing how bad things can get might leave your students overwhelmed and excessively anxious.

10. Communicate With Their Parents

Students aren’t always comfortable with teachers talking to their parents. In some cases, talking to their parents about their situation may make things worse, so only do this after you have exhausted all the other recommendations.

If the student is already responsive to the current strategies and things are going okay, reaching out to parents may not be necessary. However, parental involvement may be required if none of your techniques work and the student keeps falling behind.

Most parents can assist their children each step of the way and help address the problem faster. This way, you and the parents can now work hand-in-hand in helping the student catch up on schoolwork.

Sometimes, it’s also the environmental conditions at home that keep the student from working efficiently. These are totally out of your control and are up to the parents to address.

Hence, notifying parents of their child’s refusal to do work can serve as a wake-up call and driving force to create a healthier home environment.

Be mindful of how you communicate this with families, too. Rather than declaring the child is “refusing to work,” share that they are “struggling with getting started even after your efforts to help.”

You can ask parents if anything is going on outside of school that might impact the student’s performance. Often, parents are understanding and supportive during such conversations, so don’t shy away from reaching out to parents if necessary.

When Should You Help Students Who Refuse To Do Work?

Usually, the best time to help students who refuse to work is when you notice the negative attitude creeping in. Solving this problem as soon as it starts is the surest way to ensure it doesn’t have lasting consequences on the student’s academic future.

The right time to deal with students missing submissions may vary depending on their age and academic level.

For instance, preschool students may immediately require intervention when they miss a deadline or two. Contacting their parents may be necessary, especially since the children are barely accountable for their actions.

Meanwhile, if you’re dealing with university students, a couple of missed deadlines may only be due to a hiccup in their daily lives. Hence, nudging them the instant they miss schoolwork may not be necessary.

And since older students are more independent than early-education learners, they’re more accountable for their actions and don’t necessarily merit constant supervision.

In general, knowing when to help isn’t that straightforward, and being aware of the student’s disposition also plays a critical role in identifying the right time to help.

Conclusion

Like teachers and parents, students have complex emotions and thought processes. When students develop poor attitudes towards work, it’s likely due to unresolved problems that manifest in a lack of motivation or inability to get tasks done.

Helping students identify the underlying cause of low morale and poor class performance may be necessary, especially when they’re overwhelmed.

Once you’ve determined the root cause of the problem, you can help the student strategize how to get back on track.

Often, all they need is some guidance to hit the ground running once again.

You can tweak the tasks and time allocation to improve student engagement and productivity.

Sources

YouTube: To-Do Mind Map Tutorial | How I Organize My Day