Guest article written by Michele Timmons
Engaging “break the mold” kids
- Engage their hearts to engage their minds
- Forgive
- Wiggle room
- Lighten up
- Don’t give up
- Learn how they learn
How many times in your career have you looked at a student and thought—or even said—“they broke the mold”? Sometimes that comment comes from admiration; other times it comes from frustration. I know both sides well. I was a “break the mold” child, became a “break the mold” adult, married a “break the mold” partner, and raised three “break the mold” children. I celebrate these kids: their creativity, their defiance of convention, and their potential.
In 2003 I founded a school focused on students who struggled in traditional settings. Over the years I discovered six practical strategies that consistently help engage students who don’t fit conventional molds. Some strategies are simple; others require planning and patience. Try them, adapt them to your context, and see how your students respond.
Six Strategies to Engage Break-the-Mold Students
1. Engage their hearts to engage their minds
Students who resist standard approaches often respond when they feel genuinely seen and respected. Prioritize relationship-building as the foundation for learning. When students know you care about them as people, their willingness to participate and take academic risks grows.
- Learn something meaningful about each student—interests, family, hobbies—and bring those details into conversations and lessons.
- Listen actively to what they say and notice nonverbal cues; validation matters.
- Give responsibility and meaningful roles, even to students who seem least likely to deserve them; trust builds accountability.
- Use inquiry-based learning rather than rigid textbook routines—let questions guide exploration.
- Pose real-world problems that invite students to THINK, INNOVATE, and create solutions.
- Offer choice in how students learn and how they demonstrate their learning.
2. Learn how they learn
Schools spend immense time measuring achievement but often neglect assessing learning preferences and strategies. Quick, classroom-friendly inventories can reveal whether students learn best through visuals, movement, discussion, or hands-on practice. Use that information to design varied tasks that reach different learners.
Teachers don’t have to match every activity to every learning preference. Instead, intentionally rotate approaches so students both get instruction tailored to their strengths and practice adapting to other modes of learning. That balance supports engagement and long-term skill development.
3. Give them wiggle room
Many unconventional learners need physical and structural flexibility to focus. “Wiggle room” refers to both physical movement and instructional spacing—allowing room for energy, creativity, and different working styles.
- Choose furniture that permits movement—separate chairs, tables, or flexible seating rather than rows of attached-desk chairs.
- Allow students to change locations for independent or group work: floors, corners, cushions, or quiet hallway spots are fine if learning continues.
- Limit long lectures. Break lessons into short chunks and alternate activities to keep attention fresh.
Example block structure to support focus and variety:
- 2-minute warm-up while attendance is taken
- 5-minute overview of learning goals and relevance
- 10–15 minutes of focused direct instruction
- 20-minute inquiry or practice activity with movement or collaboration
- 2–5 minute wrap-up and quick formative check
Other practical ideas: set quiet procedures for brief movement breaks or bathroom walks, offer discreet fidget tools, and let students submit work digitally if disorganization causes them to lose assignments. Often the work is done but cannot be located—regular organization time helps.
4. Forgive and forget
Students make mistakes—sometimes repeatedly. Holding errors over their heads undermines trust. Teach perseverance by allowing students to learn from consequences, reflect on choices, and then move forward. Once a consequence is completed and learning has occurred, close the chapter and start fresh. This approach teaches resilience and models forgiveness.
5. Lighten up
A warm classroom climate invites engagement. Humor, transparency, and humanity help students connect to you and to learning.
- Let students know who you are beyond the teacher role—share hobbies or stories that reveal your personality.
- Laugh with students and welcome their jokes—humor builds rapport and eases tension.
- Smile. Warmth and clear expectations are compatible; you don’t need harshness to maintain order.
- Delegate responsibilities to a wide range of students, not only the most compliant ones.
- Invite students to help create rubrics or classroom norms so they feel ownership over expectations.
6. Don’t give up
Many of these students have experienced trauma, neglect, or repeated broken promises. Because of that history, they may test relationships or push adults away to avoid future hurt. The most important stance an educator can take is persistence. Keep showing up, keep setting high expectations, and keep communicating that you are in it for the long haul. Often a single consistent adult can change the trajectory of a student’s life; sometimes it takes a team that refuses to quit.
With patience, creativity, and deliberate strategies tailored to unconventional learners, teachers and schools can dramatically increase engagement and achievement. Try a few of these practices, reflect on what works in your setting, and iterate. Break-the-mold students often become the most innovative thinkers and strongest problem-solvers when given the right supports.
Additional resources
- Clock Watchers by Stevi Quate and John McDermott — a practical read with strategies for motivating disengaged students across content areas.
- Kick Start Your Classroom with K-TECH — a collection of classroom ideas and strategies for honoring diverse learners.
- EnvisionEdPlus — job-embedded professional development and technical assistance supporting classroom management, school climate, and innovative school design.
As founder and president of EnvisionEdPlus, Michele Timmons and a team of Innovation Specialists help school and community leaders envision and implement modern learning systems. Mrs. Timmons is a career educator with over twenty years of experience as a teacher, principal, district administrator, charter founder, and educational service provider. Her work focuses on designing learning environments that help every student thrive.