Psychology Essay

Dealing with Disengagement
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How a teacher can handle a student who does not complete homework or special assignment
Disengagement often occurs when there is a lack of interest developed on the subject at hand. In the case of Danielle, the seventh-grade middle school student, her tendency to hand in incomplete homework, as well as special assignments, calls for more attention from her teacher. According to the three principles guiding motivation, it is evident that Danielle lacks intrinsic motivation thus extrinsic motivation is necessary through the guidance of the teacher. The type of motivation in use here would be one that spurs the student interest in doing and handing in the work. Set deadlines and grading of the work would make the student more engaged because they would strive to achieve good results. Moreover, giving rewards frequently for great accomplishments by Danielle would make her gain full interest in her work (O’Donnell et al. 2012). Finally, the external motivation the teacher provides should be able to awaken the inner motivation so that even without supervision Danielle would work well.
How a teacher can deal with a student who doodles and sketches during a lesson
Disengagement gets witnessed when students sway away from the topic of study as a result of various underlying factors in the classroom. The case of George, a sixth-grade student who sketches and doodles during the journal writing period highlights an example of disengagement triggered by aspects within the classroom.

The second and third principles of motivation dictate that the teacher needs to provide conditions within the learning environment that nurture students instead of neglecting their needs. How this fact is applied determines the engagement or lack of in a lesson. The teacher would get the interest of the student by making the teaching more engaging hence sparking curiosity from George. By giving prescriptions to George regarding the topic, the teacher receives feedback that ascertains the understanding of the topic (O’Donnell et al. 2012). Finally, the use of praises and rewards during the lesson would get the attention of all the students including George.
References
O’Donnell, A. M., Reeve, J., & Smith, J. K. (2012). Educational psychology: Reflection for action. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.