Problem: My student is unmotivated, falling behind and does not care about school.

Answer 1

When a student is unmotivated and falling behind, it is often because school feels too hard, boring, or disconnected from their real life. If they keep struggling without success, they can lose confidence and start to believe they will never “get it,” which makes them stop trying. They may also feel like their effort goes unnoticed, so they don’t see the point. Sometimes the best step is to give the student a fresh start—a chance to reroute, clear away frustration, and focus on getting fully back on track. When a child is buried under both old assignments and new lessons, it becomes nearly impossible to learn anything meaningful. That’s why there sometimes needs to be a pause or a reset, where teachers and parents work together to reduce the load, set realistic priorities, and make sure the student is truly learning rather than just chasing deadlines.

Helping a child catch up starts with small, achievable steps and celebrating each success to build confidence. Lessons should be connected to the student’s interests so they feel relevant, and structure at home—like a set homework time and a quiet space—can provide consistency. For some students, struggles may come from deeper issues such as mental health conditions or neurodivergence. In those cases, families should not hesitate to ask the school for support. Schools can provide an IEP (Individualized Education Program), which includes specialized instruction and services, or a 504 Plan, which is a legal plan under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. A 504 Plan doesn’t change the curriculum but gives accommodations like extra time on tests, breaks during class, or organizational support so the student can learn on equal footing with their peers.

Answer 2

Problem: My student is unmotivated, falling behind and does not care about school.

To state the obvious, your student does not like school!

It is reasonable to assume something in his educational environment is not working for him. It may be the teacher’s approach. It may be the material. It may be his skill set. & it may be fear - of failure - or of learning.

This situation presents a good reason to hire a tutor as part of your student’s educational team.

The successful tutor will need to spend adequate time building trust. Key is selection of things to read/explore that are of interest to your student & that your student can understand, regardless of the subject or his level. It might be helpful to spend some time co-reading. It might be helpful to spend some time playing. Capturing his interest, trust & willingness to voluntarily follow the tutor into areas he doesn’t usually want to go is absolutely key.

~~~~~

Wow! There are robots we can buy now?

I wonder how it would be possible for the sky to make a hurricane?

I wonder if this author means there used to be people in the olden times? Who?

You can take 5 eggs & that’s the same as 3 eggs over here & 2 eggs over there? I wonder If that’s the same as 1 egg over here & 4 eggs over there?

Everybody used to hunt their own food? I wonder what kind of food? How do you hunt water?

~~~~~

These are examples of questions meant to capture the interest of a reluctant student. Once your student’s interest has been captured, and the tutor is trusted, the door will be opened.

Remember: what is happening at school isn’t working. Allow the tutor to approach your student & the subject(s) in a different way.

Answer 3

This is a very common challenge for younger students, and it often isn’t about laziness; it usually reflects frustration, lack of confidence, or feeling disconnected from the material they are learning. To solve this, I would focus on understanding your student’s unique interests and learning style. This can help break down lessons into achievable steps and connect their schoolwork to real-life relevance. By achieving small successes and connecting learning to goals they care about, students can regain confidence, develop motivation, and get back on track.

Answer 4

Greetings!

Often times, instructors would follow the textbook with textbook based examples. However, the writers of these textbooks are masters who think differently than students. My goal during the tutoring sessions is to also link and provide examples of the topics to everyday life such as shows, movies, and especially food! By doing this it provides reason for the student to care about topics like grammar, photosynthesis, and the water cycle. By showing them why topics are important and how it related to them personally will help them to stay motivated and eager to learn more!

Let me know if I can be of further help!

Answer 5

Not sure this is a GRAMMAR question (the category it is in) - but: depression, boredom, and lack of motivation hit this question with all tires spinning.

Teenagers have so many physical and thus mental and emotional changes going on. Add to that the news (if they hear it/follow it) which is mostly gloom and doom; the social media which makes it seem like EVERYONE else is having a grand time (they aren't); and, frankly, too many choices - which also seem unobtainable.

Oh.

So! as a teacher/parent/support person - your job is to pay attention, provide loving support - including setting boundaries; and SEARCHING for a tiny match to get that fire started. Yes - you are busy - but this kid is your responsibility - so work hard to find something that....WORKS.

Answer 6

Problem: My student is unmotivated, falling behind and does not care about school.

As a mother of 4 and a grandmother of 8, this is one concern that isn't foreign to me at all. Now being related to them gives me the advantage because I am familiar with their learning styles and believe me, no two were/are alike. Children absorb information in different ways so a good understanding of how they learn can make education more effective while giving it a personal touch. Knowing a student's learning style assists me in creating activities tailored to their individual needs that will help to increase their confidence. As a result, they are more likely to retain the information. Let's face it, in a classroom of maybe 15 students or more, it is very difficult to give every child the special attention they so richly deserve. This is why tutoring would be the answer. If you would like to hear more about how I can assist in getting your student motivated, please contact me so we can get started!

Answer 7

Students often feel unmotivated because they don't have a personal stake or vested interest in the task at hand. I like to relate my lessons to everyday life and how it may be related to what students enjoy spending time doing. For instance: The students who love building may use a coding program to design lego pieces while also learning mathematical concepts such as measurement, scale, area, volume, etc. Through the overall experience, students will learn mathematical concepts and formulas while having fun in the creation process. Students will feel more pride in their creation and can admire what they have created. Rewards, Points and achievement badges also help to motivate students.

Answer 8

HI!

My name is Alora, and I specialize in helping people like your child. Oftentimes, what a child with no motivation to learn needs is not more pressure, and especially not being forced to talk to someone who doesn't understand that struggle, and has no idea how to help. The best way to help a child is to find what they love. Some might already have a passion, like video games or Barbies, but a lot of kids don't know what they love, or what they want. A lot of adults don't either.

Finding what your kid loves is a transformative experience. You will suddenly see a light switch go on in their head. You will see joy and optimism in them that you probably have never seen. Especially if your child may be neurodivergent, which a lot of kids who struggle with motivation are. Once your child figures out what they love, what I do is, using my educational methods that I am developing at Vanderbilt, I connect everything they are learning in school back to that passion. And once they see how it relates, suddenly it doesn't seem so terrible and impossible anymore.

A lot of kids who fall behind on work and struggle to care about school get called lazy, but the fact of the matter is, Laziness is often a fictitious idea used to belittle people who are struggling with something else, like being overwhelmed, or anxious, perhaps burnt out, or depressed. Struggling is not a character flaw. And the best thing you can offer someone who is struggling is help and support. not judgment. As a tutor, I would teach your child the skills necessary to not get so overwhelmed. To tackle that messy room with bravery and most importantly, a STRATEGY!

These kids are struggling because people are trying to force them to function in a world where they have no tools designed for THEIR brains. I design tools for these kids. That is what I am getting my PHD in at Vanderbilt. If your child is wandering blind and feeling like nobody understands them, and they struggle too much and won't ever be good enough at it to even bother trying, you need me.

I used to be a struggling apathetic kid, and once I started developing my methods and strategies, I went on to be the 5th Youth Poet Laureate of the Southern United states, A Presidential Scholar of the Arts, A 2x TEDx Speaker, and a critically acclaimed poet and published author (Walking Gentry Home by Alora Young) with Penguin Random House, all before age 22. (I'm currently 22) I received a Davidson Fellows "Youth Genius Grant" in my senior year of high school and have been acclaimed as "profoundly gifted" by professors all over the country. I am a professional public speaker with the Penguin Random Speakers Org, the most elite speakers organization in the country. Also, I have an IQ of 150.

I'm here to help!

Lastly, I write all my own answers and materials. No AI needed. It's not smarter than me yet!

Answer 9

Q: My child is falling behind, unmotivated, and doesn’t care about school. How can a tutor help?

This is one of the most common concerns I hear from parents—and the good news is, change is possible. I specialize in helping students who are struggling with low grades, lack of motivation, and falling behind in reading, writing, grammar, phonics, and math (PreK–8).

As a certified K–8 teacher with over 25 years of classroom experience and 10+ years of tutoring, I know that when students shut down, it's usually not about laziness. It’s often frustration, low confidence, or not feeling successful at school. That’s where I step in.

I don’t just reteach content—I build trust, motivation, and momentum. I take time to understand what’s holding your child back, and I use a warm, structured approach that makes learning feel achievable again. I celebrate small wins, introduce engaging tools, and guide students to build confidence one step at a time. Once they begin to feel capable again, motivation often follows naturally.

Parents often tell me that their kids become more focused, start turning in work again, and even begin participating more in class after just a few weeks of tutoring.

If your child needs both academic support and a confidence boost, I’d love to help. Message me, Michele W. , by scrolling to bottom of my profile today to set up a free consultation—we’ll work together to help your child turn things around.