Reluctant learners aren’t new—but in today’s classrooms, they’re showing up in new ways. Maybe it’s disengagement. Maybe it’s anxiety. Maybe it’s resistance that masks a struggle.
Today we’re unpacking who these students are, why they might be hesitant to engage, and most importantly, how we can help them re-engage, build confidence, and start to thrive again.
Topics Discussed
Who Are Reluctant Learners in Middle School?
Why Do Students Become Reluctant Learners?
Strategies to Reach and Support Reluctant Learners
Episode 14: Effective Morning Routines and Classroom Greetings
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If you’ve hit a hiccup this Back to School, I have the resources to get you back on track. From labels for all your teacher drawers, to relationship building cards, to a review of rules and the why behind them, or maybe just a pair and share tool to get you going faster each day. Check out my Back to School category on The Colorado Classroom at TPT to help you get on your way.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/the-colorado-classroom/category-back-to-school-1441616
Transcripts
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[00:00:59] Ellie: Hello?
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[00:01:18] Ellie: So let's start with the basics. What do we mean when we say reluctant learner? It's not always the same student profile. A reluctant learner might be a student who avoids participation, keeps their head down, or appears to be checked out. They might be highly capable but unwilling to engage unless the activity interests them. And they might show signs of anxiety, perfectionism, or learned helplessness.
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[00:02:24] Ellie: The common thread is behaviors that show resistance to learning. Not necessarily because they don't care, but because they've learned that effort doesn't feel safe, productive, or rewarding.
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[00:03:23] Ellie: They may have unmet learning needs, struggles with reading, processing, executive functioning, or attention can all lead to disengagement when the pace or the format doesn't match their needs. And there can be a fear of failure or perfectionism. Some students would rather have a zero than risk trying and falling short of their goal.
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[00:04:02] Brittany: Our job isn't just to teach content, it's to help students rewrite those narratives.
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[00:04:31] We talked a bit about greetings back in episode 14, if you wanna give that a listen. , A simple, I'm glad you're here, or you're good at this part, wanna help me explain? It can go a long way. Trust opens the door to risk taking. And I have to say, there are a few students coming to mind as we're talking about this, and I do remember just having the conversation with the student who had his head down or, you know, was
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[00:05:19] Brittany: Yeah, I got a lot of those kids throughout the years and it was just like, Hey bud, what's going on today? You know? Do you wanna talk? Is there some way I can help you? Is there something I can do for you? Just, you know, reaching out to them and offering to be there for them.
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[00:05:51] Brittany: is a line. Yeah.
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[00:06:14] Use scaffolds such as sentence starters, graphic organizers, or collaborative group structures to create a safer entry point.
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[00:06:58] Brittany: Right. Or saying like, you were doing a wonderful job throughout this section of the problem, you know, without focusing on the specifically.
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[00:07:24] Awesome growth, things like that.
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[00:07:51] You know, so you're modeling how growth mindset actually works, not necessarily using those catch phrases.
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[00:08:13] Ellie: mm-hmm.
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[00:08:19] But look how much closer you are than last time,
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[00:08:24] Brittany: Ellie. Don't you have a blog post about using math mistakes as a teaching tool without crushing the confidence of kids?
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[00:08:47] So we can link those up.
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[00:08:50] Ellie: And then once you've built in some growth mindset, you could use reflective check-ins to build self-awareness. Have students regularly answer short prompts, like, what part of class made sense today? What's something that confused me? What's one thing I'm proud of from this week?
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[00:09:16] Brittany: I love the reflection. Another way to do this is to co-create some personal goals and then make sure to revisit them often
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[00:09:26] Brittany: invite students to create a short term goal, like I wanna finish one task a day without giving
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[00:09:40] Maybe they need like a thumbs up or a pat on the back. Something just simple. Keep it visible. A post-it, a corner of their folder and check in weekly. How's it going with your goal? Wanna tweak it? You might even wanna check in daily.
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[00:10:15] Brittany: Cool. We'll link that one in the show notes as well.
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[00:10:41] math number confidence that other students have do really well with it. Spatially they might be better, and they do a really good job with it and, and it makes them feel better or confident almost right away, which is fantastic. Um, you can also highlight strengths that don't always show up on grades.
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[00:11:09] Brittany: And then give space, but not silence. Sometimes reluctant learners need less pressure, not more. Offering quiet time, think then talk routines, or even an optional journaling prompt will help them process before participating. But then follow up with consistent nudges that say, I still see you, you matter here.
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[00:11:37] Brittany: I also wanna add that consistency matters. These students are looking for evidence that school is safe and worth their energy. If we're inconsistent with expectations, feedback, or emotional tone, they will retreat.
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[00:12:10] Brittany: Reluctant learners aren't trying to make our jobs harder. They're just protecting themselves from something that feels risky. When we shift our mindset from how do I make them care to, why does this feel unsafe for them we start to change the game.
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[00:12:50] We'd love to hear your stories, wins ,and challenges.
