one thinking tool for one classroom moment

They Won't Start

For the teacher trying to understand why a student won't start the work and what to try next.

Use this when a student consistently does not begin an assigned task, and you're not yet sure why.
What are you seeing?
  • Never begins, no matter how long you wait
  • Starts, then stops before making any visible progress
  • Works while you're standing beside them, stops when you step away
  • Will work with you privately but resists as soon as attention is on them
  • Looks at the page or screen for a long time without doing anything
  • Asks repeated questions about something you thought was clear
  • Says some version of "I don't know how"
  • Says some version of "this is stupid" or "I'm not doing this"
  • Starts talking, wandering, joking, or distracting someone else instead
  • Asks to leave the room right when the work is supposed to begin
What might be underneath it?

Several explanations can fit the same behavior. Pick the one worth a closer look.

Nothing fits yet?
Another source of evidence
Once you've tried something
Start Noticing
    Worth Trying
      Then Watch
      Ask Them
      Sometimes the student knows something you can't learn by watching.
      • “What part is getting in the way?”
      • “What happens for you when you look at this assignment?”
      • “You've been able to do work like this before. What feels different today?”
      • “What would make starting easier without me doing it for you?”

      Their answer is another piece of information. It doesn't automatically tell you the whole explanation, and the student may not fully understand the pattern either. But their perspective belongs in the evidence you're considering.

      After You Try Something
      The first response isn't there to prove what's happening. It gives you another piece of evidence.
      • Did they start?
      • Did they start sooner than usual?
      • Did they stay with it longer?
      • Did the resistance change when the audience changed?
      • Did clarity help, but not sustain the work on its own?
      • Did support help while you were present, then disappear when you left?
      • Did nothing change at all? That result counts too.
      Before deciding what it means, ask: If my explanation fits, what should I have expected to see? Is that what happened?
      You're not trying to find the label that explains the student. You're trying to understand the moment well enough to make a better next decision.
      Not Enough Evidence Yet
      Sometimes what you've seen doesn't clearly support any explanation yet, and that's a legitimate place to be.
      Keep Noticing
      • Don't fill the gap with a story
      • Notice when it happens and when it doesn't
      • Compare across tasks, times, settings, people, and days
      • Ask the student what observation can't tell you
      Look for Contrast

      When DOES this student start?

      That may tell you more than spending more time studying when they don't.

      You don't need an explanation until the evidence gives you one.