1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:03,720 Heidi: This is episode 227 of Teacher Approved. 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:09,060 You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping 3 00:00:09,060 --> 00:00:12,780 educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm 4 00:00:12,780 --> 00:00:13,320 Heidi. 5 00:00:13,540 --> 00:00:16,720 Emily: And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story 6 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:19,720 Window, where we give research based and teacher approved 7 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:22,300 strategies that make teaching less stressful and more 8 00:00:22,300 --> 00:00:25,720 effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from 9 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:28,060 each episode at secondstorywindow.net. 10 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:31,340 Heidi: We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to 11 00:00:31,340 --> 00:00:31,880 the show. 12 00:00:36,160 --> 00:00:39,160 Emily: Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's 13 00:00:39,160 --> 00:00:41,680 episode, we are sharing practical strategies for 14 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:45,340 handling student work refusal, and we have a teacher approved 15 00:00:45,340 --> 00:00:49,120 tip for creating a simple prevention checklist you can use 16 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:50,140 during lesson planning. 17 00:00:50,140 --> 00:00:53,973 Heidi: Let's start with a try it tomorrow, where we share a quick 18 00:00:53,973 --> 00:00:55,825 win that you can try in your classroom right away. Emily, 19 00:00:55,825 --> 00:00:57,205 what's our suggestion for this week? 20 00:00:57,385 --> 00:01:00,865 Emily: This week try the Choice to Skip strategy. So when you're 21 00:01:00,865 --> 00:01:03,805 giving an assignment with multiple problems or questions, 22 00:01:03,805 --> 00:01:07,045 tell your students that they can choose one to skip. You might 23 00:01:07,045 --> 00:01:09,625 say something like, everyone needs to do problems five and 24 00:01:09,625 --> 00:01:12,385 eight, but you can choose one of the other problems to skip. 25 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:15,840 Heidi: We know that this sounds counterintuitive, but giving 26 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,960 kids permission to skip something often makes them way 27 00:01:18,960 --> 00:01:20,580 more willing to tackle the rest. 28 00:01:20,900 --> 00:01:23,240 Emily: I know, it's such a good strategy. So if you like this 29 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:25,760 idea or anything else we share here on the podcast, we would 30 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:28,280 appreciate it so much if you would take a second and give us 31 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:30,860 a five star rating and review in your podcast app. 32 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,180 Heidi: Alright, let's talk about one of those classroom moments 33 00:01:35,180 --> 00:01:39,740 that can make or break your day. That is when a student just will 34 00:01:39,740 --> 00:01:40,460 not work. 35 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:44,740 Emily: Yeah, we all know how it goes. You've taught a great 36 00:01:44,740 --> 00:01:47,980 lesson, given clear directions, and most kids are happily 37 00:01:47,980 --> 00:01:51,520 working away. But there's that one student, or, you know, maybe 38 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:53,920 a few, that are sitting there with their arms crossed, 39 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,340 scribbling on their paper or finding every possible way to 40 00:01:57,340 --> 00:01:58,360 avoid the task. 41 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:03,580 Heidi: As a teacher, this is so triggering, it feels personal 42 00:02:03,580 --> 00:02:07,660 like they are provoking us on purpose. And I'm not fully 43 00:02:07,660 --> 00:02:08,800 convinced that they're not. 44 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,880 Emily: Right. But if you only remember one thing from today's 45 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:15,760 episode, we want you to remember this, work refusal is 46 00:02:15,820 --> 00:02:17,140 communication. 47 00:02:17,620 --> 00:02:20,980 Heidi: And even if it feels like what they're communicating is 48 00:02:21,025 --> 00:02:25,945 defiance, I promise that it is much more than that. These kids 49 00:02:25,945 --> 00:02:29,005 are telling us something, and it's our job, as the grown up, 50 00:02:29,005 --> 00:02:31,825 unfortunately, to figure out what that something is. 51 00:02:32,185 --> 00:02:35,365 Emily: And that does not mean that it is not frustrating, but 52 00:02:35,365 --> 00:02:38,485 that does mean there's a lot we can do about it. And let's start 53 00:02:38,485 --> 00:02:41,185 with the single most effective way to deal with work refusal, 54 00:02:41,185 --> 00:02:44,005 and that is to prevent it from starting in the first place. 55 00:02:44,530 --> 00:02:47,470 That is basically our behavior management mantra. What can we 56 00:02:47,470 --> 00:02:49,450 do to stop it before it starts? 57 00:02:49,690 --> 00:02:52,510 Heidi: And with work refusal, that really comes down to this. 58 00:02:52,930 --> 00:02:56,350 Are your lessons clear, engaging, and broken down in a 59 00:02:56,350 --> 00:02:58,150 way that supports student success? 60 00:02:58,540 --> 00:03:01,080 Emily: And we promise this can be much simpler than it may 61 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:04,320 sound. It just means asking yourself, am I giving students 62 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:07,740 enough opportunities to do the work with me before I expect 63 00:03:07,860 --> 00:03:11,160 them to do it on their own? The more you build that in, the less 64 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:13,860 likely you are to hit a wall of refusal when it's time for 65 00:03:13,860 --> 00:03:14,940 independent practice. 66 00:03:15,420 --> 00:03:17,580 Heidi: Now this doesn't mean that you have to hand out a 67 00:03:17,580 --> 00:03:21,020 worksheet mid lesson for your students to work on. There are 68 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:24,800 lots of quick and easy ways to get students thinking and doing 69 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:27,740 while you're teaching, without having to get out paper and 70 00:03:27,740 --> 00:03:28,100 pencil. 71 00:03:28,420 --> 00:03:30,640 Emily: If you want lots of examples, go back and check out 72 00:03:30,640 --> 00:03:34,300 episode 161 where we talked about how to add active 73 00:03:34,300 --> 00:03:38,980 responses to any lesson using choral response, signals, signs, 74 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:40,540 writing, and technology. 75 00:03:41,380 --> 00:03:44,560 Heidi: Now, hopefully this single step of preparing 76 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:47,800 engaging lessons magically solves all of your work refusal 77 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:49,060 problems before they start. 78 00:03:49,420 --> 00:03:51,100 Emily: Yeah, please, fingers crossed. 79 00:03:51,100 --> 00:03:54,565 Heidi: And to help you with that task, at the end of this 80 00:03:54,565 --> 00:03:58,165 episode, we have a quick checklist that we'll share that 81 00:03:58,165 --> 00:04:00,565 you can use to evaluate any lesson before you teach it. 82 00:04:01,165 --> 00:04:03,565 Emily: Okay, but let's be honest, even the best, most 83 00:04:03,565 --> 00:04:07,225 engaging lesson isn't going to prevent every instance of work 84 00:04:07,225 --> 00:04:10,405 refusal. Sometimes what worked great yesterday may totally flop 85 00:04:10,405 --> 00:04:10,825 today. 86 00:04:11,519 --> 00:04:14,399 Heidi: So let's get you set up with a toolbox for what to do 87 00:04:14,399 --> 00:04:18,419 when, despite your best efforts, work refusal shows up anyway. 88 00:04:18,899 --> 00:04:21,979 The first tool is to understand what not to do. 89 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:25,200 Emily: Yeah, we want to avoid the "don'ts" that can take a 90 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:28,920 rough moment and turn it into a full scale disaster. 91 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:33,180 Heidi: But if you see yourself in any of these, please be 92 00:04:33,180 --> 00:04:36,060 gentle with yourself, because it is so easy for this to happen. 93 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,540 When kids refuse to work, it triggers some pretty strong 94 00:04:39,540 --> 00:04:43,380 emotions, and our first instinct might be to double down or to 95 00:04:43,380 --> 00:04:47,205 start threatening consequences, but don't get caught in a power 96 00:04:47,205 --> 00:04:47,805 struggle. 97 00:04:48,165 --> 00:04:51,045 Emily: Right. A power struggle is the absolute least helpful 98 00:04:51,045 --> 00:04:54,405 solution to this problem. We are after cooperation, not 99 00:04:54,405 --> 00:04:57,585 compliance. The moment it becomes a battle of wills, 100 00:04:57,645 --> 00:04:59,025 everybody loses. 101 00:04:59,985 --> 00:05:03,465 Heidi: Our second "don't" is don't punish, especially by 102 00:05:03,465 --> 00:05:06,645 taking away recess. Kids need that movement, and the break 103 00:05:06,645 --> 00:05:09,870 time, and taking it away will likely cause more problems later 104 00:05:09,870 --> 00:05:11,190 in the day, not fewer. 105 00:05:12,020 --> 00:05:14,480 Emily: And don't assume students are being lazy or difficult on 106 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:19,220 purpose, even if it seems like 100% that is what is happening. 107 00:05:19,580 --> 00:05:21,620 There is usually something else going on. 108 00:05:21,620 --> 00:05:24,800 Heidi: Now, in desperate moments, we know it can be so 109 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:28,400 tempting to resort to bribes, something like, if you just do 110 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:31,820 this page, you can have extra computer time, but don't do 111 00:05:31,820 --> 00:05:36,005 this. Bribes will work in the moment, but they're not solving 112 00:05:36,005 --> 00:05:38,885 the underlying issue, and they can actually make work refusal 113 00:05:38,885 --> 00:05:39,845 worse over time. 114 00:05:40,985 --> 00:05:44,105 Emily: The last "don't" might be the most important. Don't react 115 00:05:44,105 --> 00:05:47,345 out of frustration. When you feel that emotional reaction 116 00:05:47,345 --> 00:05:51,665 rising up, you know, the irritation, the anger, pause and 117 00:05:51,665 --> 00:05:54,485 take a breath before you respond. Regulate yourself 118 00:05:54,485 --> 00:05:56,945 first, because whatever you do next will either help the 119 00:05:56,945 --> 00:05:59,210 situation or make it a whole lot harder. 120 00:05:59,990 --> 00:06:02,450 Heidi: And really, we know it is so easy to feel triggered in 121 00:06:02,450 --> 00:06:05,690 this moment. So please, if you have experienced any of these 122 00:06:05,690 --> 00:06:09,470 "don'ts" in the past, be kind to yourself, because we have all 123 00:06:09,530 --> 00:06:12,590 done it. Probably we've all done a whole combination of those. 124 00:06:13,250 --> 00:06:15,950 Emily: Yeah, in tough moments, we don't always respond as the 125 00:06:15,950 --> 00:06:18,830 best version of ourselves. And I can, like, just feel my blood 126 00:06:18,830 --> 00:06:21,995 pressure rising just talking about this and remembering what 127 00:06:21,995 --> 00:06:24,935 it feels like in these moments where you want to just get into 128 00:06:24,935 --> 00:06:28,355 it, like, no, no, you are going to do it, because I said so. But 129 00:06:28,715 --> 00:06:31,475 now that you have got some clarity about how work refusal 130 00:06:31,475 --> 00:06:34,295 might trigger you, remind yourself to pause and breathe 131 00:06:34,355 --> 00:06:36,035 before reacting in the future. 132 00:06:36,635 --> 00:06:39,215 Heidi: And then once you have avoided that minefield of 133 00:06:39,215 --> 00:06:42,395 don'ts, you're in a much better place for the next step in 134 00:06:42,395 --> 00:06:45,560 managing work refusal, which is to get curious. 135 00:06:46,220 --> 00:06:48,860 Emily: Remember, work refusal is communication, like we said. 136 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:51,920 Every time a student refuses, they're telling you something, 137 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:55,340 even if it's coming out sideways through crossed arms and 138 00:06:56,180 --> 00:07:00,500 dramatic size. Our job isn't to win the battle. It's to figure 139 00:07:00,500 --> 00:07:02,360 out what's going on underneath. 140 00:07:03,020 --> 00:07:05,960 Heidi: When you are 10 minutes into writing time and one kid 141 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:09,920 still hasn't picked up a dang pencil, shift your focus. Try 142 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:12,980 pretending you're a doctor, and challenge yourself to evaluate 143 00:07:12,980 --> 00:07:16,640 this patient. Start by asking yourself, what might this 144 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,520 behavior be trying to say, and what does the student need right 145 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:19,820 now? 146 00:07:20,420 --> 00:07:22,460 Emily: If one student is refusing to write their 147 00:07:22,460 --> 00:07:25,160 persuasive essay because they had a fight at recess, and 148 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:28,040 another is refusing because they don't understand the assignment, 149 00:07:28,085 --> 00:07:30,725 they need completely different responses from you. 150 00:07:31,445 --> 00:07:34,205 Heidi: So try running through a list of diagnostic questions. 151 00:07:34,445 --> 00:07:37,265 Does the student have the academic skills to complete this 152 00:07:37,265 --> 00:07:40,025 task? Maybe the directions don't click, or maybe they're missing 153 00:07:40,025 --> 00:07:43,805 background knowledge. What looks like defiance might actually be 154 00:07:43,805 --> 00:07:44,945 a quiet panic. 155 00:07:45,545 --> 00:07:48,470 Emily: And sometimes the issue is attention, not ability. Look 156 00:07:48,470 --> 00:07:52,550 around the environment. Is it too noisy or distracting? Is the 157 00:07:52,550 --> 00:07:55,310 student dealing with something outside of school that makes 158 00:07:55,310 --> 00:07:58,850 focusing nearly impossible in the moment? Maybe their little 159 00:07:58,850 --> 00:08:01,190 world is crumbling, and the last thing they have the bandwidth 160 00:08:01,190 --> 00:08:02,870 for is writing a persuasive essay. 161 00:08:03,740 --> 00:08:06,080 Heidi: Also consider if the student actually knows how to 162 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:09,380 get started. This is an executive functioning challenge. 163 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:12,560 The student might have the right understanding, but planning out 164 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:15,440 the steps feels overwhelming, so they just shut down instead. 165 00:08:16,100 --> 00:08:19,220 Emily: And don't forget basic needs. Are they hungry, tired, 166 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:22,160 uncomfortable? Nobody can do their best work if their body is 167 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:22,760 struggling. 168 00:08:23,660 --> 00:08:25,940 Heidi: Now, if you can't diagnose the problem from the 169 00:08:25,940 --> 00:08:28,805 outside, just try asking the student what they need in order 170 00:08:28,805 --> 00:08:32,165 to get started. When you approach with curiosity instead 171 00:08:32,165 --> 00:08:35,825 of judgment, the student feels seen instead of shamed, and that 172 00:08:35,825 --> 00:08:37,025 really changes everything. 173 00:08:37,685 --> 00:08:40,565 Emily: And curiosity also gives you options. If it's a skill 174 00:08:40,565 --> 00:08:43,805 issue, you can scaffold. If it's planning, you can break down the 175 00:08:43,805 --> 00:08:47,465 task into smaller steps. If it's focus, you can offer a quick 176 00:08:47,465 --> 00:08:48,605 regulation break. 177 00:08:49,180 --> 00:08:52,540 Heidi: So instead of asking, why won't they just do this work, 178 00:08:52,900 --> 00:08:56,740 flip it to what's getting in their way right now, and how can 179 00:08:56,740 --> 00:08:57,700 I help clear that path? 180 00:08:58,620 --> 00:09:01,200 Emily: Of course, kids can't always articulate what's wrong, 181 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:05,220 and you'll likely get a response like nothing, or, I don't know. 182 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,460 Heidi: And when that happens, use your past history with the 183 00:09:08,460 --> 00:09:11,520 student to make your best guess about whether the problem is 184 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:14,640 academic, emotional, or environmental. Then once you 185 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:17,280 have a theory about what's going on, you can respond in a way 186 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:19,260 that actually addresses the root issue. 187 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:22,640 Emily: Once you've managed any outside issues that might be 188 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,280 impacting the student, you're ready for the next step, 189 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:27,920 offering support that helps students re engage. 190 00:09:28,500 --> 00:09:31,260 Heidi: Now let's imagine that you have just wrapped up your 191 00:09:31,260 --> 00:09:35,160 top notch, super engaging geometry lesson. Next is time 192 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:38,400 for independent practice. You explain the assignment and you 193 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:41,220 turn the kids loose. It seems like everyone is getting to 194 00:09:41,220 --> 00:09:44,880 work, but then you take a closer look, and you notice one kid is 195 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:48,060 drawing Pokemon on his paper, one is playing with the Gibbets 196 00:09:48,060 --> 00:09:51,405 on her crocs, and another hasn't even noticed there's a paper on 197 00:09:51,405 --> 00:09:52,005 his desk. 198 00:09:52,365 --> 00:09:57,225 Emily: Ugh, those Croc Gibbets. You can feel your blood pressure 199 00:09:57,225 --> 00:09:59,685 rising by the second. Why did these kids have to make 200 00:09:59,685 --> 00:10:03,045 everything so hard? So the first thing is to remember the don'ts, 201 00:10:03,045 --> 00:10:06,285 don't react, don't get into a power struggle. Take some deep 202 00:10:06,285 --> 00:10:07,845 breaths and let your brain reset. 203 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:11,020 Heidi: And then while you're breathing, get curious. What 204 00:10:11,020 --> 00:10:14,320 does each situation need? Use what you know about your past 205 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:17,860 interactions with these kids to diagnose the problem. Are there 206 00:10:17,860 --> 00:10:21,040 any deeper, academic, emotional, or environmental problems at 207 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:21,400 play? 208 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:25,120 Emily: Then address the issues you can and provide the support 209 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:28,120 students need to get started. Maybe the girl with the crocs 210 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:31,420 just needs a reminder to leave her shoes alone. But if students 211 00:10:31,420 --> 00:10:34,105 need more support, we're going to use a tool from Fred Jones' 212 00:10:34,105 --> 00:10:38,065 book Tools for Teaching, called praise, prompt, and leave. 213 00:10:38,665 --> 00:10:41,305 Heidi: Now I swear by this technique, it can absolutely 214 00:10:41,305 --> 00:10:44,965 save you in a tough moment, and it has saved me in plenty of 215 00:10:44,965 --> 00:10:48,745 them. So let's talk about how this works in action. You walk 216 00:10:48,745 --> 00:10:51,205 over to the desk nearest you, maybe it's the kid drawing the 217 00:10:51,205 --> 00:10:54,790 Pokemon pictures, and you find something to praise about what 218 00:10:54,790 --> 00:10:58,570 they have done right so far. Now this might be tricky if all he's 219 00:10:58,570 --> 00:11:00,430 done is draw Pokemon pictures. 220 00:11:01,330 --> 00:11:04,510 Emily: Yes, but even if all you can say is, I'm glad you've got 221 00:11:04,510 --> 00:11:07,390 your pencil ready to go, starting with connection will 222 00:11:07,390 --> 00:11:09,130 help keep the situation positive. 223 00:11:09,790 --> 00:11:12,250 Heidi: The type of praise you use in this moment really does 224 00:11:12,250 --> 00:11:15,910 matter. Try to focus on effort, not ability. Something like, 225 00:11:15,910 --> 00:11:18,595 "look how quickly you got started on that first problem" 226 00:11:18,955 --> 00:11:21,115 is more useful than "you're so smart." 227 00:11:21,835 --> 00:11:24,415 Emily: After praising whatever action they've taken, give them 228 00:11:24,415 --> 00:11:26,995 one simple prompt about the very next step they should take. 229 00:11:27,235 --> 00:11:29,515 Don't go over the whole assignment, just the next step. 230 00:11:29,515 --> 00:11:32,095 Say something like, "the next thing you need to do is circle 231 00:11:32,095 --> 00:11:33,115 all the angles." 232 00:11:33,595 --> 00:11:36,955 Heidi: And then you leave. Don't hover or wait for them to 233 00:11:36,955 --> 00:11:40,060 complete that step. You will circle back in a few minutes to 234 00:11:40,060 --> 00:11:43,060 check on progress, but don't wait for them to get started 235 00:11:43,060 --> 00:11:46,660 before you move on. The goal is to scaffold their independence, 236 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:50,140 not make them dependent on you, walking them through every step. 237 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:53,540 Emily: Now let's say you've calmed your emotions, you've 238 00:11:53,660 --> 00:11:55,940 gotten curious about what's going on, and you've tried to 239 00:11:55,940 --> 00:11:58,640 praise, prompt, and leave, but the work still isn't getting 240 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:01,580 done. We have all been in those situations, it can leave you 241 00:12:01,580 --> 00:12:02,840 feeling really stuck. 242 00:12:03,380 --> 00:12:06,260 Heidi: But we promise you are not stuck, because you have got 243 00:12:06,260 --> 00:12:09,500 some more tools to try. When you find yourself in this moment, 244 00:12:09,500 --> 00:12:13,205 the next step is to make the work feel more manageable. A lot 245 00:12:13,205 --> 00:12:16,685 of the time, work refusal comes down to the task being too big 246 00:12:16,925 --> 00:12:18,845 or too out of the student's control. 247 00:12:19,445 --> 00:12:21,785 Emily: Yeah, think about how you feel when someone hands you a 10 248 00:12:21,785 --> 00:12:25,505 page form to fill out. Oh, the worst. Large assignments can be 249 00:12:25,505 --> 00:12:28,205 daunting, even to adults, so let's do what we can to limit 250 00:12:28,205 --> 00:12:29,765 that overwhelm for our kids. 251 00:12:30,065 --> 00:12:33,965 Heidi: So how do we shrink that mountain down into a hill that a 252 00:12:33,965 --> 00:12:37,190 student can actually climb? Two of the best tools we have for 253 00:12:37,190 --> 00:12:41,930 this are chunking and offering agency. Emily, can you tell us 254 00:12:41,930 --> 00:12:42,830 more about chunking? 255 00:12:42,830 --> 00:12:45,710 Emily: Yeah, well, when we say chunk an assignment, isn't it 256 00:12:45,710 --> 00:12:49,370 such an elegant word to describe it? This means we're breaking 257 00:12:49,370 --> 00:12:51,890 the work down into smaller, bite sized steps. So instead of 258 00:12:51,890 --> 00:12:54,410 expecting students to face a whole page of math problems, 259 00:12:54,410 --> 00:12:58,610 cover all but the first one or two and say, work these, then 260 00:12:58,610 --> 00:12:59,210 we'll check in. 261 00:12:59,810 --> 00:13:02,075 Heidi: This also works with other assignments, like writing. 262 00:13:02,075 --> 00:13:05,135 Instead of "write a paragraph about your favorite animal," you 263 00:13:05,135 --> 00:13:07,895 can try chunking your directions. "First choose the 264 00:13:07,895 --> 00:13:10,235 animal you're going to write about, and then write one 265 00:13:10,235 --> 00:13:11,795 sentence about what it looks like." 266 00:13:12,035 --> 00:13:15,395 Emily: You can also try chunking the time. Use timers to create 267 00:13:15,395 --> 00:13:18,215 mini deadlines, like, "Work for three minutes, then let's see 268 00:13:18,215 --> 00:13:22,194 how far you get." Each small win builds momentum, and before you 269 00:13:22,194 --> 00:13:23,360 know it, the student who couldn't even start five minutes 270 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:24,980 ago is suddenly halfway done. 271 00:13:25,460 --> 00:13:28,100 Heidi: Besides chunking, you can make work more manageable by 272 00:13:28,100 --> 00:13:32,060 offering agency. Kids are much more likely to engage when they 273 00:13:32,060 --> 00:13:34,340 feel that they have some say in what happens. 274 00:13:34,820 --> 00:13:37,580 Emily: Now before you have a heart attack, that absolutely 275 00:13:37,580 --> 00:13:40,700 does not mean turning your class into a free for all. Think of it 276 00:13:40,700 --> 00:13:43,160 more like choices within structure. 277 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:47,105 Heidi: Yeah, you're likely to find students much more engaged 278 00:13:47,105 --> 00:13:51,185 in their work if they have some say in how it gets done. So try 279 00:13:51,185 --> 00:13:54,245 offering limited options and see how quickly it changes the mood 280 00:13:54,245 --> 00:13:57,785 in your room. Just make sure that you can live with whatever 281 00:13:57,785 --> 00:13:58,565 they choose. 282 00:13:59,165 --> 00:14:01,385 Emily: Yeah, don't offer students the choice to either do 283 00:14:01,385 --> 00:14:04,205 their work independently or with a buddy if you don't want to 284 00:14:04,205 --> 00:14:07,265 manage partner work at that moment. It's fine, there are 285 00:14:07,265 --> 00:14:09,890 lots of simple ways to give students options that don't make 286 00:14:09,890 --> 00:14:10,970 your job harder. 287 00:14:11,750 --> 00:14:14,510 Heidi: An easy one, for example, is to try offering students the 288 00:14:14,510 --> 00:14:17,930 choice of where to work. "You can stay at your desk or take 289 00:14:17,930 --> 00:14:20,990 your paper to the carpet," or, "You could work at the top of 290 00:14:20,990 --> 00:14:23,030 your desk, or you could turn around and use your chair as a 291 00:14:23,030 --> 00:14:25,910 desk." You know, little tweaks make a big difference. 292 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:28,180 Emily: You can also give students the choice of how they 293 00:14:28,180 --> 00:14:31,300 work. Can they use pen, pencil or crayon to complete the 294 00:14:31,300 --> 00:14:33,880 assignment? Or maybe give options about the format of 295 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:37,300 their response. "You can write this out, type it, or draw your 296 00:14:37,300 --> 00:14:37,900 response." 297 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:41,080 Heidi: One of my favorite options for students, and one of 298 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:43,420 the easiest was to let them choose the order they do the 299 00:14:43,420 --> 00:14:46,840 problems. If it doesn't really affect the outcome, just let 300 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:49,300 them pick. "You can start with the first three problems or the 301 00:14:49,300 --> 00:14:50,905 last three problems. It's up to you." 302 00:14:51,685 --> 00:14:54,325 Emily: And that choice to skip strategy from our try it 303 00:14:54,325 --> 00:14:56,785 tomorrow fits perfectly in this category. 304 00:14:57,205 --> 00:15:00,265 Heidi: Kids love that one. Honestly, it will make you their 305 00:15:00,265 --> 00:15:01,045 favorite teacher. 306 00:15:02,545 --> 00:15:04,825 Emily: Another way to offer choice is to invite the student 307 00:15:04,825 --> 00:15:08,065 into helping solve the situation. Ask them, "what part 308 00:15:08,065 --> 00:15:10,825 feels hardest," or "what would make this feel doable?" 309 00:15:10,825 --> 00:15:13,570 Empowering students to solve their own problems can be just 310 00:15:13,570 --> 00:15:15,310 the nudge they need to turn things around. 311 00:15:16,210 --> 00:15:19,570 Heidi: As helpful and powerful and useful as these tools are, 312 00:15:19,930 --> 00:15:23,650 sometimes the wisest decision you can make is just to do 313 00:15:23,650 --> 00:15:24,190 nothing. 314 00:15:24,550 --> 00:15:27,310 Emily: Yeah, as a teacher, you need to learn to recognize when 315 00:15:27,310 --> 00:15:31,030 the battle isn't worth it. If anything you try is just going 316 00:15:31,030 --> 00:15:34,090 to escalate the situation, just leave it alone. Assuming the 317 00:15:34,090 --> 00:15:37,255 child isn't in any danger, a short reset or coming back to it 318 00:15:37,255 --> 00:15:40,075 later can be more effective than forcing compliance right now. 319 00:15:40,615 --> 00:15:42,535 Heidi: Maybe they need a few minutes to cool down, or maybe 320 00:15:42,535 --> 00:15:45,475 the timing just isn't right. You can always circle back when 321 00:15:45,475 --> 00:15:46,735 they're in a better headspace. 322 00:15:47,095 --> 00:15:49,135 Emily: When things have calmed down and it's time to have that 323 00:15:49,135 --> 00:15:52,195 conversation, the most important thing is to listen. Don't jump 324 00:15:52,195 --> 00:15:54,715 in with your thoughts about what's happening. Let them talk 325 00:15:54,715 --> 00:15:57,415 first. You really might be surprised what you learn. 326 00:15:58,060 --> 00:16:00,660 Heidi: And if work refusal becomes a persistent pattern, 327 00:16:00,900 --> 00:16:03,840 that's when you might need to involve other support, school 328 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:06,720 counselors, administrators or parents. You don't have to solve 329 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:07,920 everything by yourself. 330 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,380 Emily: Okay, let's do a quick recap of our strategies for 331 00:16:11,380 --> 00:16:14,680 handling work refusal. First, prevent it when you can with 332 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:18,520 engaging, well-scaffolded instruction that sets students 333 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:22,120 up for success. When it does happen anyway, avoid power 334 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:26,200 struggles, punishment or bribes. Regulate yourself first, get 335 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:29,320 curious about what the behavior is communicating, like, is there 336 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:32,665 an academic, emotional or environmental issue at play? 337 00:16:33,325 --> 00:16:36,025 Heidi: Next, provide support with praise, prompt, and leave. 338 00:16:36,505 --> 00:16:39,505 Make the work feel manageable by breaking it down and offering 339 00:16:39,505 --> 00:16:42,745 choice within structure. Involve students in collaborative 340 00:16:42,745 --> 00:16:45,325 problem solving, and know when it's better just to let it go 341 00:16:45,325 --> 00:16:46,285 and come back later. 342 00:16:46,945 --> 00:16:50,605 Emily: Remember, work refusal is communication, not defiance. You 343 00:16:50,605 --> 00:16:53,365 have tools to respond without burning yourself out. These kids 344 00:16:53,365 --> 00:16:55,630 aren't trying to make your life difficult. They're trying to 345 00:16:55,630 --> 00:16:57,970 tell you something, and now you know how to listen. 346 00:16:57,970 --> 00:17:01,090 Heidi: We would love to hear how these strategies work in your 347 00:17:01,090 --> 00:17:03,430 classroom. Come join the conversation in our Teacher 348 00:17:03,430 --> 00:17:04,570 Approved Facebook group. 349 00:17:05,710 --> 00:17:07,810 Emily: Now for our Teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where 350 00:17:07,810 --> 00:17:10,690 we share an actionable tip to help you elevate what matters 351 00:17:10,690 --> 00:17:13,750 and simplify the rest. This week's teacher approved tip is 352 00:17:13,750 --> 00:17:16,855 to create a simple prevention checklist for lesson planning. 353 00:17:16,855 --> 00:17:17,995 So tell us about this, Heidi. 354 00:17:18,415 --> 00:17:20,215 Heidi: Well, we mentioned earlier in the episode that 355 00:17:20,215 --> 00:17:24,055 prevention is your best strategy for avoiding work refusal. So we 356 00:17:24,055 --> 00:17:26,815 want to give you some specific questions that you can ask 357 00:17:26,815 --> 00:17:30,055 yourself during lesson planning. These literally take one minute 358 00:17:30,055 --> 00:17:32,695 to run through, but they can save you 20 minutes of 359 00:17:32,695 --> 00:17:34,795 redirecting and re-teaching during work time. 360 00:17:35,275 --> 00:17:38,275 Emily: Here are the questions. First, academic readiness. Can 361 00:17:38,275 --> 00:17:41,260 most of your students do this independently after your guided 362 00:17:41,260 --> 00:17:44,620 practice? Is there a clear model or example they can refer to? 363 00:17:44,980 --> 00:17:47,560 What's the hardest part of this task, and have you taught that 364 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:48,640 piece well enough? 365 00:17:49,300 --> 00:17:52,540 Heidi: Next, engagement and motivation. Why would a student 366 00:17:52,540 --> 00:17:55,480 care about this assignment? Is there any choice, movement or 367 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:59,080 novelty built in? Can you explain the why behind this work 368 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:00,100 in kid friendly terms? 369 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:03,760 Emily: Then overwhelm prevention. Does this look 370 00:18:03,805 --> 00:18:07,165 doable at first glance, or does it look like a lot? Can you 371 00:18:07,165 --> 00:18:10,405 break this into smaller chunks or steps? How long will this 372 00:18:10,405 --> 00:18:12,385 realistically take your slowest worker? 373 00:18:12,385 --> 00:18:16,285 Heidi: Also consider environment and logistics. Do students have 374 00:18:16,285 --> 00:18:18,925 everything they need to complete this? Are there too many 375 00:18:18,925 --> 00:18:21,685 distractions happening during this work time? Is this the 376 00:18:21,685 --> 00:18:23,485 right time of day for this type of task? 377 00:18:24,145 --> 00:18:26,545 Emily: And finally, differentiation reality check. 378 00:18:26,545 --> 00:18:29,350 What will your struggling learners do when they get stuck? 379 00:18:29,710 --> 00:18:31,990 What will your fast finishers do so they don't become 380 00:18:31,990 --> 00:18:35,290 distractions? Do students understand what being done with 381 00:18:35,290 --> 00:18:36,490 this assignment looks like? 382 00:18:37,030 --> 00:18:40,210 Heidi: And here is my favorite question of all. If you were 383 00:18:40,210 --> 00:18:43,510 tired and this assignment landed on your desk right now, would 384 00:18:43,510 --> 00:18:46,990 you want to do it? If the answer is no, your students probably 385 00:18:46,990 --> 00:18:48,010 won't want to do it either. 386 00:18:48,660 --> 00:18:51,420 Emily: These questions help you catch potential work refusal 387 00:18:51,420 --> 00:18:54,540 before it happens, and honestly, they make your teaching more 388 00:18:54,540 --> 00:18:57,480 engaging for everyone, not just the kids who might refuse to 389 00:18:57,480 --> 00:18:57,720 work. 390 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:00,300 Heidi: We will put the full checklist in the show notes so 391 00:19:00,300 --> 00:19:02,460 that you can reference it easily during planning time. 392 00:19:02,460 --> 00:19:07,260 To wrap up the show, we're sharing what we're giving extra 393 00:19:08,100 --> 00:19:11,656 Emily: I'm giving extra credit to Noco cookie cakes on 394 00:19:08,580 --> 00:19:11,051 credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra credit? 395 00:19:11,731 --> 00:19:16,196 Instagram. She's also on Tiktok. I randomly stumbled on her 396 00:19:16,271 --> 00:19:20,811 account like a month ago, and I got sucked in watching these 397 00:19:20,887 --> 00:19:25,578 videos. So it's this woman who, last year, I believe, lost her 398 00:19:25,653 --> 00:19:29,891 job, and I don't really understand why, but she got this 399 00:19:29,966 --> 00:19:34,430 idea of making cookie cake. So she's making just like a big 400 00:19:34,506 --> 00:19:39,197 chocolate chip cookie, and then using frosting to decorate it. 401 00:19:38,765 --> 00:19:53,285 But the best part is she does a voiceover of the recording of 402 00:19:39,273 --> 00:19:43,813 But she is not a decorator. She's not really good at writing 403 00:19:43,888 --> 00:19:48,580 or drawing anything. So already like the outcome is hilarious. 404 00:19:53,285 --> 00:19:56,405 her, the sped up, you know, clip, edited version of her 405 00:19:56,705 --> 00:20:01,310 making this cake. And it just delights me. She's hilarious. I 406 00:20:01,310 --> 00:20:03,770 saw on her Instagram, she described herself as a cookie 407 00:20:03,770 --> 00:20:07,550 cake comedian. And I was like, yeah, that's accurate. I wish I 408 00:20:07,550 --> 00:20:10,310 lived in Colorado. I'd get myself a cookie cake so that she 409 00:20:10,310 --> 00:20:13,130 could make fun of me while she makes it. Because she always 410 00:20:13,130 --> 00:20:15,950 makes fun of like, what people request on their cake, or 411 00:20:16,190 --> 00:20:19,370 laments, why do people keep making me write things, and 412 00:20:19,790 --> 00:20:22,835 anyway. And the other funny thing is, she says all the time 413 00:20:22,835 --> 00:20:25,355 that she doesn't like frosting, like she would not want to eat 414 00:20:25,355 --> 00:20:28,595 one of these cakes, which makes it even funnier. It's so good. 415 00:20:28,595 --> 00:20:31,235 If you need a laugh, I will link to it in the show notes. Noco 416 00:20:31,235 --> 00:20:32,015 cookie cakes. 417 00:20:32,135 --> 00:20:34,535 Heidi: Highly recommend. I did see though today, I don't know 418 00:20:34,535 --> 00:20:35,975 if you saw this, she hurt her hand. 419 00:20:36,095 --> 00:20:36,695 Emily: Oh no. 420 00:20:36,755 --> 00:20:39,035 Heidi: She hasn't been able to decorate her case. 421 00:20:39,035 --> 00:20:41,435 Emily: No, I haven't seen that. What a tragedy. 422 00:20:41,435 --> 00:20:44,975 Heidi: I know. So everyone's a bit concerned. Hopefully Noco 423 00:20:45,020 --> 00:20:45,920 can continue. 424 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:49,880 Emily: Yes, please. I'll have to check in on that. What are you 425 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:51,260 giving extra credit to, Heidi? 426 00:20:51,620 --> 00:20:53,840 Heidi: Well, I'm giving extra credit to the picture book A 427 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:58,520 Fall Day for Bear by Bonnie Becker. I love these bear books 428 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:03,560 so much. It's about like a grumpy, surly just want to be on 429 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:08,885 his own, introvert, bear and a peppy, extroverted mouse who 430 00:21:08,945 --> 00:21:10,325 adopts him as his best friend. 431 00:21:10,445 --> 00:21:11,285 Emily: Against as well. 432 00:21:11,285 --> 00:21:16,985 Heidi: Yeah, so they have all kinds of hijinks together. Yeah, 433 00:21:16,985 --> 00:21:19,565 a fall picture book is always a win. And then this is just so 434 00:21:19,565 --> 00:21:22,145 cute. And this one, though, it's a bit of a role reversal, 435 00:21:22,145 --> 00:21:25,925 because mouse is having a really bad day, and so bear has to step 436 00:21:25,985 --> 00:21:29,705 up to cheer him up. So it's very sweet. It's a perfect book for 437 00:21:29,705 --> 00:21:33,890 fall. I know we did some vocabulary for Christmas for 438 00:21:33,890 --> 00:21:36,590 Bear and Mouse. I think we have a vocabulary resource. 439 00:21:36,590 --> 00:21:37,070 Emily: Yes. 440 00:21:37,070 --> 00:21:40,070 Heidi: So if you have not met bear and mouse, this is the 441 00:21:40,070 --> 00:21:41,450 moment you need to jump on that. 442 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:43,580 Emily: Yeah, and I did not know about this new book, so I'm 443 00:21:43,580 --> 00:21:44,540 excited to check it out. 444 00:21:44,540 --> 00:21:45,860 Heidi: It's very cute. 445 00:21:46,820 --> 00:21:49,940 That is it for today's episode. Remember, work refusal is 446 00:21:49,940 --> 00:21:53,540 communication. Your job isn't to force compliance. It's to figure 447 00:21:53,540 --> 00:21:55,760 out what your students need and to help them get there. 448 00:21:56,300 --> 00:21:58,760 Emily: Try our strategies for handling work refusal with 449 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:01,220 curiosity instead of frustration. And don't forget 450 00:22:01,220 --> 00:22:04,100 our Teacher Approved tip for creating a prevention checklist 451 00:22:04,100 --> 00:22:05,300 during lesson planning. 452 00:22:07,625 --> 00:22:10,805 Heidi: We hope you enjoyed this episode of teacher approved. I'm 453 00:22:10,805 --> 00:22:11,405 Heidi. 454 00:22:11,465 --> 00:22:14,765 Emily: And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow 455 00:22:14,765 --> 00:22:17,285 or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an 456 00:22:17,285 --> 00:22:17,705 episode. 457 00:22:18,125 --> 00:22:20,465 Heidi: You can connect with us and other teachers in the 458 00:22:20,465 --> 00:22:23,705 Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week. 459 00:22:23,885 --> 00:22:24,665 Bye for now. 460 00:22:24,665 --> 00:22:25,505 Emily: Bye.