What we call "motivation" in school is really a decision students make to invest in our classrooms. It's our responsibility to show students the value of investment and guide them toward behaviors that will support learning.

In this guide, Robyn R. Jackson takes you step by step through the process of motivating reluctant learners--what great teachers do instead of relying on elaborate rewards systems or creative tricks to reach students who actively or passively resist investing themselves in the classroom. Here, you'll learn how to

* Identify the classroom investments to ask for by considering the motivated behaviors you most want to see and ensuring that what you're asking for is specific, meaningful, observable, realistic, worth the effort, and small.

* Create a classroom worth investing in by removing "demotivating" practice- and procedure-based barriers and giving students more opportunities for autonomy.

* Understand and address students' resistance and respond with instructional strategies that minimize perceived risk and maximize immediate benefits.

* Ask for and shape an investment by reaching out to students in a nonconfrontational way and providing a clear path toward motivated behavior.

* Create a motivation plan that's tailored to the students you teach and designed to be effective in the long run.