Motivating Students in Junior Years (2 Viewers)

[eyeseeyou]

Ask them what do they want to achieve at the end of the day and try to make sure they have that burning desire to do well. Once that flame is lit, they'll be unstoppable

 

[davidgoes4wce]

OK feedback on the Yr 9 student that I am currently tutoring, he has averaged 50% for a Year 8 Advanced test, 53% for a 2nd follow up Year 8 Advanced test. What I try to do is focus on the weak areas where he goes wrong (by printing out relevant worksheets concentrating on his weak topics and going through them with him the following weeks), will assess him again in 3-4 weeks time. He doesn't put in much work outside school hours. I did tell his mum and the student that he needs to put in a minimum of 45 minutes per night for maths every night. (I only see him 1.5 hours a week. You can only cover so much)

I think I may have to change things by possibly going through 2-3 examples per exercise, and getting him to go through them in front of me/or doing it for homework.

If you guys have any better suggestions I am willing to take them on board.

 

[Flop21]

This is a very complicated issue that can't be fixed with a slap on the wrist or their parents telling them off.

I don't believe being strict works. Like enoilgam said they need to find their own motivation. You can't force them to. I believe you can help them find that motivation, I'm not exactly sure how though.

 

[Nailgun]

OK feedback on the Yr 9 student that I am currently tutoring, he has averaged 50% for a Year 8 Advanced test, 53% for a 2nd follow up Year 8 Advanced test. What I try to do is focus on the weak areas where he goes wrong (by printing out relevant worksheets concentrating on his weak topics and going through them with him the following weeks), will assess him again in 3-4 weeks time. He doesn't put in much work outside school hours. I did tell his mum and the student that he needs to put in a minimum of 45 minutes per night for maths every night. (I only see him 1.5 hours a week. You can only cover so much)

I think I may have to change things by possibly going through 2-3 examples per exercise, and getting him to go through them in front of me/or doing it for homework.

If you guys have any better suggestions I am willing to take them on board.

I think this is a good idea
Perhaps maybe towards of the end of the lesson you could give him a semi-difficult to very-difficult example (perhaps with hints though) that requires him to have the solid fundamentals to do
If you could somehow challenge him into doing it i.e carrot or stick, he still won't be able to do it without having actually developed the skills - hence he will then have to

If he can't do it then, tell him to work it out by next week. What you want is a positive feedback loop - people begin to enjoy maths generally when they feel like they're good at it. You need to build up his confidence until he thinks that he's good - then he will actually be good lol

The key here is making him want to be able to do that question - that comes down to what kind of person he is. If he's competitive - make it a challenge, If he's lazy offer him a deal (less homework the next week if you can do the question (trick here is he won't be able to do the question hopefully without homework)), basically you need him to want to do it.

Nobody likes doing worksheets lele, especially the kind with lots of easyish/very similar questions - to make it interesting you have to make him think, not robotically do questions. That's not to say he doesn't need to do lots of practice questions, but they should be a means to an end, not a goal in themselves.

Another idea could be setting him entire past papers for homework. He can have the entire week, but he should get them all right as well - same principle as above.

lelelel just my 2c