As a teacher, you may encounter students who are at risk of falling behind in math. These students may lack motivation and struggle to keep up with the curriculum. However, with the right approach, you can help these students develop grit and succeed in math. As we approach this task, it is beneficial to take the acronym for G.R.I.T., Great Resilience in Time, with you as a reminder for you and your learners! Here are five tips for motivating at-risk students through grit in the math classroom.

According to Carol Dweck, a leading researcher in motivation and achievement, students who have a growth mindset are more likely to persevere through challenges and develop grit. Further, in their research article titled, “The Origins of Children's Growth and Fixed Mindsets: New Research and a New Proposal”, Haimovitz and Dweck (2017) discovered that “Students with an incremental theory believe that abilities are malleable and can be increased by effort. These students are more inclined to perceive achievement situations as opportunities to grow and expand one's own competencies”. Students need the opportunity to grow in grit through an increase of effort on various tasks, and in their metacognitive process during mathematical discourse. 

Dweck has spoken about how a growth mindset is the belief that intelligence and abilities can be developed through hard work and dedication. As a teacher, you can help your students develop a growth mindset by praising their effort and persistence, rather than their innate abilities. Encourage your students to embrace challenges and view mistakes as opportunities for growth.

Setting realistic goals can help students develop grit by giving them a clear target to work towards. However, it's important to make sure that the goals are achievable and not too overwhelming. Dr. Angela Duckworth, a researcher on grit, suggests that students should set "stretch goals" that are challenging but still within reach. Encourage your students to set specific, measurable goals for their math performance and track their progress towards those goals.

Feedback and support are essential for helping at-risk students develop grit. Provide your students with regular feedback on their progress and offer support when they encounter challenges. Encourage your students to seek help when they need it and provide resources such as tutoring or extra practice materials. When doing this, at-risk students will be convinced that not all hope is lost. Providing feedback is imperative to provide students with a supportive environment that fosters growth and development.

Emphasizing effort and persistence can help students develop grit by reinforcing the idea that success comes from hard work and dedication. Encourage your students to put in the effort and persist through challenges, even when they feel discouraged. Dr. Duckworth suggests that teachers can help students develop grit by modeling grit themselves and emphasizing the importance of effort and persistence in achieving success.

Celebrating successes can help students develop grit by reinforcing the idea that hard work and dedication pay off. When your students achieve their goals or make progress towards them, celebrate their successes and acknowledge their efforts. Encourage your students to reflect on their successes and use them as motivation to continue working towards their goals. UMass Global mention in their findings that celebrating successes for at-risk learners can be filtered through 3 categories: 1) establishing relationships, 2) incorporating a democratic classroom model, and 3) Consider the tenets of the enabling component model.  When these strategies are implemented with fidelity, students will begin to unmask and take a risk during vulerable stages of learning, and will be convinced that their efforts and progress are relevant for their lives, and the success to come.