Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Refusing to do anything A classroom situation I had was a freshman student who absolutely refused to do anything he did not want to do. The frustrating part was not that he would not participate but that his teachers allowed it to happen because it was better that he was at school than at his home. It was frustrating because (1) the student was not learning and (2) the student obviously had a horrible homelife. What can I do? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) I would first talk to the student privately and see if they have a reason for not doing their work. Maybe they don't understand and need extra help such as tutoring. If you can't get anything out of him, then I would schedule a meeting with his parents to understand what is going on. If it is obvious that his home life is a negative environment, I would try to make school a positive environment for him. I think giving him a choice of what kind of activity he wants to do is a good idea, but he needs to know that doing nothing is unacceptable and will result in consequences. The teacher should show support and understanding, and possibly set him up with a guidance counselor.