Motivating Students Who Don't Care: A Book Review

Reaching and motivating students who seem disengaged and under-invested appears to be a universal challenge for nearly all college professors. Sometimes it's easy to ignore these students instead of having the courage to experiment with strategies that may inspire them. "Motivating Students Who Don't Care: Proven Strategies to Engage All Learners" is the title of a second edition book by Allen N. Mendler. Although intended for a K-12 audience, this book includes principles, practices, and ideas that are also applicable to instructors in higher education. This book addresses ways to use technology and digital tools to enhance learning and explores ideas for reducing student anxiety and responding to an uncertain and ever-changing educational landscape. This section will be presented as a book review and will summarize key messages and chapters in this book: (1) understanding why students might feel unmotivated, (2) examining processes and techniques to guide, inspire, and support students who are struggling, (3) learning how to emphasize effort, and (4) exploring ways to build strong and trusting teacher-student relationships.