When Students WON'T Work...

I am wondering today if there are any of you out there who have a few "choice" students that will just NOT work to their potential in the lab (on the Cognitive Tutor)?? You know, when I was first introduced to the software I fell in love with the fact that it was individually-paced and prescriptive so each of my completely different students could work at their very own pace and only move to new units when they had actually mastered the concepts from the previous unit. What more could a teacher ask for? This is the very definition of differentiated learning and I don't have to develop four different levels of assignments!!!

But......what about the student who is unmotivated to even work at their own pace? What about the student, who no matter what you give them, always complains, always requires an outpouring of prompting and cueing, never gets anything in on time and could care less about their grade in your class!!?! You know, the LAZY student!! I hate to be negative today, but we all have THAT student (and maybe even multiples of THAT student). So how do we motivate THEM to work to their potential on the tutor?

Let me tell you, I still do not have the answer to that question, but I'd like to share a couple of ideas in hopes that you have more to share with me.

The one thing that has worked best for me is staying on TOP of that student; in essence to annoy them with concern and encouragement. Every time I walk by their computer I ask them if they need my help. I print out their detailed report every day at the end of the period to show them what they completed that day (and what they didn't). After about two weeks of this suffocating admonition most of them start to perform, just to get me out of their face!!

I have actually called a few parents before as well. Letting a parent know that their child isn't working to their potential in your class is, in most cases, a huge advantage. Just letting them know that their child can work at home to catch up is ammunition enough to get the students to work IN class. I had one student come in the day after I had called his parent saying, "You called my mom and told her I could work on the Cognitive Tutor at home????!! Now I have to work every night for an hour until I get to unit 12!" My reply, "When you start working in class, I'll call her back and let her know you can stop." (It worked for that student!)

For the severe cases, requiring them to stay after school for an hour once per week until they catch up with their peers is another option. And in most cases a few doses of after-school Cognitive Tutor-ing is all it takes to put a fire under their rear to actually work IN class!

I used to think that I would always have the LAZY student; that some kids, no matter what you do are just not going to work. But I've learned over the years, that if I make "not working" NOT AN OPTION, those LAZY students slowly disappear. Ultimately, it's up to me to never give up and to keep on them until they decide not to fight me anymore. That's what we would do with our own children, wouldn't we? Why would we give any less to our students!?