Work Avoidance

Our care of the child should be governed, not by the desire to “make him learn things,” but by the endeavor to always keep burning within him that light which is called intelligence. ~ Maria Montessori

Work avoidance in a Montessori classroom?  How could this happen?  The children have a meticulously prepared environment, with beautifully crafted Montessori materials. You have albums full of lessons aimed at supporting the ideal development of children.  Children can make their own choices.  You have spent hours preparing to give engaging lessons.   Yet, there is Wally, wandering through the classroom like a child lost in the mall looking for his parents.  What happened?

True Story

Rose was a three-year-old in Kathy’s classroom. It was her first year in a Montessori enviornment. At the beginning of the year, Rose was eager to receive lessons from her teacher and actively engaged in practical life work. However, after being given a lesson, Rose began to avoid the very work she had initially shown interest in and started wandering around the classroom. Over time, her requests for lessons shifted from eager inquiries to demands, and her disengagement escalated from wandering to actively interfering with other children’s work. Kathy responded by “redirecting” Rose when she was disengaged, offering help to find work. These redirections quickly turned into power struggles, and the situation seemed to be deteriorating rapidly.

Rose’s work avoidance behavior became increasingly concerning. She began stealing items from materials on the shelf and destroying other children’s work.  Kathy knew the situation needed intentional and focused intervention. You’ll find “the rest of the story” at the end of this article!

Not all work avoidance manifests in such active ways. Many children, like the allegorical “Wally,” display more passive behaviors. They may simply wander the room, avoid asking for lessons, or fail to show interest in the materials. Whether active or passive, work avoidance is a concern because our primary role as Montessori educators is to inspire children and connect them to the environment. Through this connection, children work independently with the materials, learning and discovering through their own experiences. Without this engagement, how can we support normalization?

Work Avoidance and the Planes of Development

Toddlers (0–3 years) – During the first half of the first plane of development, children are in sensitive periods for movement, coordination, and language. They may engage in physical refusal, such as walking away from a work or dropping materials. Overwhelm can occur when there are too many work choices or when a task has too many steps, often leading to frustration. As toddlers are just beginning to develop independence, they may exhibit adult dependency and require assistance to select or engage with work (Orion, 1998).

Children’s House (3–6 years) – In the second half of the first plane, children operate in the conscious absorbent mind, actively constructing themselves through purposeful activity, repetition, and social interactions. Work avoidance may manifest as over-socializing, indecision, giving up, interrupting teachers instead of working independently, or leaving multiple works out without completing them.

Elementary (6–12 years) – Elementary-aged students develop the reasoning mind, focus on socialization and belonging, seek understanding of “big questions,” and progress from concrete to abstract thinking. Work avoidance can result from an overemphasis on rote skill development without engaging their curiosity for the larger questions answered through the Cosmic Education curriculum. Signs of work avoidance include delaying the start of work, procrastination, off-task socialization, resisting more challenging tasks, complaining that work is “boring” or “too hard,” and avoiding multi-step assignments.

Adolescence (12–18 years) – Adolescents have a strong desire for autonomy as they form their identity and search for their place and purpose in society. Peer acceptance and a sense of social justice become central priorities. Work may be avoided if it feels imposed or irrelevant (Wang, Liu, Kee, & Chian, 2019). Social concerns often outweigh academic responsibilities, and adolescents may become discouraged or self-critical when comparing themselves to peers. Work avoidance can present as giving up, perfectionism, silent withdrawal, overt resistance, avoidance of group projects, or focusing on personal interests to the exclusion of classroom work.

Preparing the Teacher and the Environment

• Relationships First– Start with connection! A wealth of research demonstrates that when children have a strong bond with their teacher, they perform better socially, emotionally, and academically.
• Avoid Assumptions– Be careful not to make assumptions about what is happening outside of school. For example, saying, “He is never engaged when he spends the night at his dad’s house” may lead you to overlook important observations within the classroom.
• Avoid Control– A common response to work avoidance is for the adult to step in and make decisions for the child. This can create a cycle of dependency, where the child does not select work independently and misses opportunities to engage according to their developmental instincts. This can skew observation and reduce the teacher’s ability to respond effectively to the child’s needs (Jiang, Vauras, Volet, Salo, & Kajamies, 2019).
• Observation– Before jumping in to redirect, observe the child carefully, using the running records approach. Review your notes for indicators of interest and potential antecedents to avoidance, such as lack of readiness, lagging skills, social dynamics, overly challenging or under-challenging work, or developmental tendencies.
• Follow Interests– While following a child’s interests may seem obvious, it often requires stepping outside our own expectations of what their interests “should” be. For example, if a child is fascinated by Star Wars, start there. Use this as an opportunity to connect with them, then weave it into academic work—such as creating Star Wars-themed word problems for an elementary student or spelling “Luke” with the moveable alphabet. Focus on winning the child over, not controlling them.
• Practical Life– For younger children, Dr. Montessori emphasized Practical Life activities as “the cure for deviations.” These materials form the foundation for concentration and independence. Consistent preparation of the Practical Life area, along with repeated use by children, develops the skills needed to successfully engage with other manipulative materials in the classroom (Orion, 1998).
• Goal Setting vs. “Accountability”– Elementary and adolescent students require accountability, but too often, expectations are set solely by the adult rather than individualized for the child. This can invite power struggles, passivity, dependence, and disengagement. Instead, involve students in setting achievable goals and monitoring their own progress. This approach fosters cooperation, shared accountability, and balances autonomy with support (Jang, Reeve, & Deci, 2010).
• Routine Consistency– Don’t let your own boredom with routines disrupt the classroom rhythm. A consistent work cycle, daily schedule, weekly plan, and school-year rhythm helps children know what to expect. This predictability supports independence and self-regulation. When routines are established and maintained, many problems that were previously attributed to other factors often resolve themselves.

Grace and Courtesy Skills

• How to Make and Take Small Steps – Below, under General Responses, you will see the recommendation for the Guide to isolate the difficulty. This can be an excellent first step.  As students get older, however, teaching them to isolate the difficulty, or break tasks or projects down into small steps is an important life skill, and critical for children who have lagging executive function skills.
• Asking for Help – How do you know when you need help? What does it feel like? Who can you ask for help? And finally, how can you ask for help in a way that invites a positive response (from a friend or a teacher)? What are some ways you can ask for help if you’re embarrassed?
• Choosing Suitable Work Partners – Brainstorm characteristics of productive and unproductive working partnerships. This activity works well with the whole group, as everyone—including adults—has people they collaborate effectively with and others with whom they do not.
• Time Management – For elementary and adolescent students, teaching them to plan their work throughout the day and week supports time management skills. Offer several planning methods, incorporating Montessori principles of choice and interest. Work with the student to strategize on how to best approach less-preferred tasks (see goal setting and isolating the difficulty above). Timers may help some students, while for others they may trigger
• Starting Work – Work with elementary students and adolescents to identify which types of tasks help them start most productively—quick, discreet work that builds momentum, high-interest work that engages them immediately, or more challenging tasks they prefer to tackle first to reduce anxiety and avoidance. Clarifying their personal starting style helps them enter the work cycle with greater confidence. Use these insights to guide their daily planning and sequencing choices.
• Self-Challenge – Take time to teach children how to challenge themselves. “What would you like to challenge yourself with today?”  Normalize challenges to develop persistence and the ability to embrace mistakes as an opportunity to learn.
• Mistakes – Directly teach how respond to mistakes. With younger children, give them language to practice.  “I’m still learning.”  “I can try again.”  “I can try a different way.”  “Woops, I made a mistake.”  With older children, craft the language with them.  Practice and role-play.
• Preparing Own Work Environment – Show children how to order their work environment before beginning a work. A cluttered workspace can lead to reduced concentration and overwhelm.    

General Responses

• Sleep and Physical Needs– Ask parents about sleep patterns. A very common physiological cause of work avoidance is lack of sleep. Consider ways to support this in the classroom, even for older children, such as providing a quiet place for a short rest. Check in for other physical needs as well: water, snacks, or movement breaks.
• Isolate the Difficulty– Some children are easily overwhelmed. The principle of isolating the difficulty can help prevent this. Strategies include limiting the number of work choices, reducing the number of steps in a task, ensuring instructions are simple and clear, and providing written or illustrated instructions (Shanks, 2024).
• Start Now, Finish Later– Encourage the child to set up their work and begin the first step of a task. Taking a short break and returning later often makes completing the task feel more manageable once the initial step is taken.
• Contribution– Redirect the child to help someone else with their work. Using their strengths and successes to support others builds confidence, connection, and self-motivation.
• Limited and Informed Choices– Offering limited and informed work choices can be highly effective in Children’s House and Lower Elementary environments. Informed limited choices are based on your observations of the child’s interests, abilities, and developmental needs. As children develop greater independence, gradually expand the number of choices, ensuring that all options are acceptable to both the child and the teacher.
• Wheel of Choice– The Wheel of Choice (PDMC, page 176) can be particularly effective for children who avoid work due to overwhelm. This is a creative extension of Limited Choices. Work with the child to create a list of potential activities and display them on a pie chart (using pictures for children who cannot yet read). Laminate the chart, and allow the child to use the wheel as a prompt during the work cycle.
• Interest Interview– This simple yet powerful approach helps build a strong connection and uncovers a child’s interests. Once you identify an interest, spend a few minutes creating intentional and meaningful “interview questions” to explore it further. Children enjoy talking about their interests (and so do adults). If you are not familiar with the interest, do a little research beforehand to ensure your questions are relevant.
• Set Achievable Goals Together– For younger children, hold a short morning check-in to set daily goals collaboratively. For older students, plan their day and week together, helping them set realistic goals. Encourage starting small and focusing on objectives they feel confident in achieving. This supports their sense of agency and helps them discover their own capabilities. Remember, goal-setting is a process, not a single event.
• Follow-Up Together– Check in on progress toward goals using Conversational Curiosity Questions (PDMC, page 194). The frequency of these check-ins may vary depending on the child’s age and needs—throughout the day, at the end of the work cycle, at the end of the school day, or at the end of the week.
• Encourage with Evidence– Record observations of the child’s progress. In addition to using curiosity questions, provide specific evidence of their achievements. For example: “I noticed that you started 45 Layout and then took a snack break. When you returned, you finished the activity. Congratulations!”
• Work With, Work Near, Work Away– After presenting a lesson, do not assume the child will immediately work independently. Initially, work alongside them. As confidence grows, let them know you will be nearby if they need support. Eventually, as independence increases, you can step away while showing faith in their ability: “I think you’ve got this. I’ll be working with Sam. Let me know if you need help.”

Mistaken Goal Responses

 “A misbehaving child is a discouraged child.”  (Dreikurs, 1964).

When children feel supported and encouraged in the classroom environment, and they know they belong (are loved) and feel significant (through responsibility and contribution), they thrive.  With guidance, they develop kindness and respect for others and themselves and discover how capable they are. 

When children feel discouraged, they misbehave, because they have a mistaken belief about how to belong and feel significant.  As Rudolph Dreikurs observed children, he identified four mistaken goals that children adopt when they feel discouraged. 

Below, you will find practical ideas for helping to support positive change for the behavior of disruption for each mistaken goal.  Some of the General Responses, above, are included and aligned with mistaken goals.

Undue Attention (Notice Me – Involve Me Usefully): Children whose mistaken goal is Undue Attention engage in work avoidance to be noticed, or to keep others (friends or adults) busy with them, or to obtain special service.  Work avoidance may include “taking a tour of the classroom”, interrupting the guide, asking for unneeded help, seeking social interaction. 

Responses: Connection Before Correction – spend a few moments connecting with the student before redirecting them to their work. Use Presence, Warmth, and Silence (PWS) to acknowledge the child, redirecting without words (PDMC, p. 115). Avoid verbal redirections. Offer a choice between a familiar work and a new or novel one. Consider creating a work specifically for the child—proactively, not as a response to misbehavior. Establish routines together and use non-verbal signals to prompt, “What’s next?”

Misguided Power (Let Me Help – Give Me Choices): Children with the mistaken goal of Misguided Power may avoid work to demonstrate their personal power, agency and control over their own decisions.  Work avoidance may present itself as delaying work to assert control, negotiating, arguing (what, when, why, how), challenging instruction, walking away or over resistance.

Responses: Offer informed and Limited Choices. Ask the student for help with meaningful teacher tasks (preparing for a lesson, taking notes, assembling a new material, etc.).  Redirect help other students with their work.  Plan work together.  Avoid arguments and over-explaining.  Focus on progress towards goals, not compliance.  Maintain limits consistently.  Encourage private decision making, “You can decide that for yourself.  I’ll be here when you’re ready.” Create a work together.

Revenge (I’m Hurting – Validate My Feelings): Children whose mistaken goal is Revenge may avoid work when they feel hurt.  Their social motivation is to make others feel hurt the way they feel hurt. Whether that hurt is intended or unintended makes no difference.   Work avoidance may include sulking, complaining, refusal, social conflicts, hurtful or disrespectful interactions with adults, and destruction of work or materials.

Responses:  Make intentional time to connect.  Work with the student to set reasonable and achievable goals.  Model making mistakes and being friendly with error. Show trust in the student wherever possible and verbalize it.  Listen to their concerns without judgement.  Show you care.  As always, use reflective listening!  Reflect together after work completion.

Assumed Inadequacy (Don’t Give Up on Me – Show Me a Small Step): A child with the mistaken goal of Assumed Inadequacy may avoid work as a way of giving up and convincing others to lower their expectations.  Work avoidance behaviors may include appearing confused, hesitating to start work, saying “I can’t do it!” with or without words, avoiding challenges, abandoning work, and asking for repeated lessons or help.

Responses: Small Step Check-In – have the student complete on small step and then check in with you, offering encouragement.  Normalize challenge gradually and model how to respond to mistakes. Encourage effort and recognize small accomplishments.   Reduce barriers by ensuring students know where materials are, how to set them up, and that instructions are clear. Teach positive self-talk and demonstrate faith in their abilities.  Support small steps rather than lowering expectations—reducing expectations may be perceived as giving up on the child.

The Rest of the Story

After consulting the Mistaken Goal Chart, Kathy concluded that Rose’s mistaken goal was misguided power. The belief behind this goal is: “I only count, or belong, when I’m in control. I will prove that no one can boss me—you can’t make me.” Kathy began to approach Rose with the understanding that what she was really asking for was choice and the opportunity to use her personal power constructively.

One morning, Kathy sat down with Rose to identify work choices in the classroom, paying particular attention to what Rose enjoyed. Together, they made a list and created a Wheel of Choice specifically for her. Kathy also asked Rose if she would take responsibility for the Practical Life Area. Rose loved cleaning and straightening, and when asked to help, she beamed and exclaimed, “YES!”

The following day, Rose was wandering around the classroom. Kathy asked her to check the Practical Life area, and she immediately went over, straightened the shelves, and completed the task. Afterward, she walked two loops around the classroom, seeming a bit lost, before stopping and heading to her cubby. There, she consulted her Wheel of Choice, selected an activity, and went to the Language area to use the Moveable Alphabet.

Kathy reflected, “The Wheel of Choice was particularly effective. When she had clear options—ones she helped create—it seemed to give her a real sense of relief. She appeared less overwhelmed and more in control of herself. The Wheel of Choice helped her isolate the difficulty while maintaining agency. It was one of the most profound transformations I have experienced.”

References

Dreikurs, R. (1964). Children: The challenge. Hawthorn Books.

Jang, H., Reeve, J., & Deci, E. L. (2010). Engaging students in learning activities: It is not autonomy, support, or structure but autonomy, support, and structure. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(3), 588–600. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019682

Jiang, J., Vauras, M., Volet, S., Salo, A.-E., & Kajamies, A. (2019). Autonomy-supportive and controlling teaching in the classroom: A video-based case study. Education Sciences, 9(3), 229. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9030229

Montessori, M. (1965). The Montessori method (A. E. George, Trans.). Schocken Books. (Original work published 1917)

Nelsen, J., & DeLorenzo, C. (2021). Positive discipline in the Montessori classroom. Parent-Child Press.

Orion, J. (1998). The natural unfolding of grace and courtesy in children under three years. In Grace and courtesy: A human responsibility. AMI/USA Conference.

Shanks, P. (2024). The Montessori approach to classroom-based interventions: A handbook for educators, administrators, service providers, and families of children whose development is impacted by delay or disability. Parent Child Press, Incorporated.

Wang, C. K. J., Liu, W. C., Kee, Y. H., & Chian, L. K. (2019). Competence, autonomy, and relatedness in the classroom: Understanding students’ motivational processes using the self-determination theory. Heliyon, 5(7), e01983. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01983