I want to address one of the biggest headaches for teachers: The unmotivated and disruptive student. Yep, we all know that kid—the one who sighs dramatically at every assignment, spends more time staring at the ceiling than their work, or worse… is the class comedian with a knack for chaos.
Let me tell you about a student I had years ago—let’s call him Jake. Jake was the kind of kid who could turn sharpening a pencil into a Broadway production. If there was a way to avoid work, he’d find it. But here’s the kicker—he was brilliant. I mean, razor-sharp wit, quick thinker, but totally uninterested in school. The moment I started teaching, I could feel his resistance like a force field. “Mr. Hiles, why do we even need to learn this?” he’d ask, arms crossed, feet up, setting the tone for the entire class. Sound familiar?
Now, I could’ve gone the traditional route—punishments, lectures, detentions. But let’s be real… has that ever truly worked long-term? Nope. Instead, I had to outsmart the disengagement. So today, I’m sharing real, battle-tested strategies that can turn even the most unmotivated and disruptive student into an engaged learner. Buckle up—because this episode is going to be good.
Step 1: Figure Out the Why
Before we can fix the problem, we have to understand it. Students aren’t unmotivated just for fun. Maybe Jake wasn’t acting out just because he hated school—maybe he was struggling with reading and masking it with humor. Maybe he felt disconnected. Maybe he was just bored out of his mind. The trick is to play detective. Observe. Talk to them. Find out what’s really going on under the surface.
Step 2: Build the Relationship First
I know, I know—you’ve heard this before. But let me tell you, relationships are EVERYTHING. If a kid doesn’t feel like you care, why should they care about your lesson? I made it a mission to connect with Jake outside of academics. I’d ask about his favorite video games, crack jokes with him, and—get this—let him teach me something. The moment I let him lead, his walls started coming down.
Step 3: Give Them a Sense of Power (But Make It Productive!)
Disruptive kids are often looking for control. So what happens if you give them some? I handed Jake a leadership role. He became my “tech guy” for the class. Every day, he was in charge of setting up the slides, troubleshooting, and even leading quick warm-up discussions. And suddenly? He had a reason to show up engaged. He owned something in the classroom.
