Supporting At-Risk Students

Challenges that at-risk students face and strategies

to overcome them

The seven challenges, identified by Eric Jensen, that at-risk students face can be groups into
three categories – relational, internal and external. Once identifies, these challenges can be
addressed with instructional strategies.

Relational challenges

Relationships
Challenge: Heavy home duties, particularly if their families don’t have the help they need.

Establishing a relationship with your students is of paramount importance. With a trusting,

genuine, and caring relationship your students will be more available to learn.

Building connections with your students is also essential in order to begin addressing risk
factors. When students understand that you care, they are more willing to work with you, and
then they will be available for possible interventions. Small things can make a big impact.

• Always learn every student's name as he or she prefers to be called.

• Build trust and rapport by asking about their family, hobbies, and what's important to your
student.

Teaching for Impact: Course 3 Module 2. © Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved
Internal challenges

Once relationships are established, consider the student’s mindset, effort and distress. These
internal challenges are all directly related to a student’s inner thoughts, feelings, and
perspectives.

Mindset
Challenge: Low self-confidence if they usually need a lot of help to accomplish goals.

When students show signs of a fixed mindset, believing that their efforts are not good enough,
encourage and develop their growth mindset.

• Explicitly teach students that the brain is like a muscle and that learning involves struggle.
• Explain that learning something may be hard, but working through the struggle is good.
• Help students learn how they should react when they get something wrong or if they have to
redo something.
• Encourage students and praise their efforts throughout their process to help them develop a
growth mindset.

Effort
Challenge: Lack of motivation, if school is not a high priority.

Students may have not be clear about where they are going and the desired outcomes
associated with their efforts.

• Make sure your students know the desired outcomes and understand where you want their
efforts to lead them.
• Collaborate with them to set clear goals.

Distress
Challenge: Mistrust of others, especially if adults in their lives don’t always stick around.

Students need to have a sense of empowerment over their goals and outcomes and
communicating them with you. A lack of empowerment can lead to distress.

• Ask students for their ideas on how to provide alternate forums for feedback based on their
unique experiences. Give them opportunities to share their opinions.
• Ask students to demonstrate how they used the content in their everyday life to show you
their understanding. E.g. rather than practise writing formal letters, encourage students to
find a passion and write a letter about it.

Teaching for Impact: Course 3 Module 2. © Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved
External challenges

Assess the external factors, including health and nutrition, cognition, and vocabulary. Look at
concrete actions that you can implement in your instructional practice to help students overcome
these challenges.

Health and nutrition

Challenge: Lack of exercise and nutrition, especially if students don’t have access to proper
medical care.

While health and nutrition may be out of your physical reach, you can address students’ health
needs in their time with you.

• Have students engage in stretching while taking slow deep breaths.

• Use games, movement, and drama in your lessons as natural ways to increase oxygenation.

Cognition
Challenge: Short attention span, particularly if they’re below grade level and don’t understand
their courses.

Once students are moving and the oxygen is flowing, they will be able to address their cognition,
or attention span, distractibility, and organisational skills.

• Plan time for explicit instruction on the core skills students need.
• Teach students how to be organised, how to study, how to take notes, and how to prioritise.

Vocabulary
Challenge: Low vocabulary exposure, which is common in families whose parents didn’t
graduate from high school.

Vocabulary builds upon cognition.

• Incorporate content vocabulary into your instruction and be relentless about introducing and
using those terms and holding your students to the same standards.
• Immerse students in vocabulary activities to deepen their understanding – have them write
their own definition, draw a picture, sing a song, or conduct research to expand upon their
knowledge of the term.

Teaching for Impact: Course 3 Module 2. © Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved