I find that kids will do the work if they believe it’s a tool for getting better. That’s where constant, meaningful feedback comes in for me.

For example, if I look over a kid’s ela, I’m going to start with something like “Wow, you’re really good at finding evidence. You even use quotation marks when you reference the text. That’s a great skill to have in 4th grade. Now we need to start working on building a nest for that evidence. Today, I want you to really focus on your assertions. Make a claim! I’m going to be circling back to you when it comes to nailing that first step today, so show me what you got!”

The kid now knows that he’s sniffing around success. He knows what it will mean for me that day. He’ll definitely think twice about how he starts his thoughts on the page. But most of all, he’s hooked because he believes that each item is a clue that I’ll use to guide him down the right path.

There is a melange if other little things I do to keep them coming back. But feedback is the lost meaningful thing I have found in this new world of very little academic risk we’ve found ourselves in.