1. Ms. Smith ridicules Jerry for asking a "stupid" question in class. After this, no one in class has the nerve to ask questions when something is confusing or unclear.

(Not Effective. Students learn through vicarious learning not to ask questions.)

2. Peggy has spent several hours each night working on assignments for her chemistry class, but she still doesn't understand the material. "Maybe you just need to try a little harder, Peggy," her teacher suggests.

(Not effective. Attributing failure to insufficient effort is effective only when a student clearly hasn't exerted much effort. Peggy has already been trying very hard to succeed in chemistry.)

3. Mr. Murphy says, "The next lesson is not especially interesting, but it's important for you to learn. Let's see if we can all struggle through it together."

(Not effective: Teachers are more likely to motivate students when they model interest in the subject matter.)

Adapted from: Ormrod, J.E. (2000). Student Study Guide to Accompany Educational Psychology: Developing Learners (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill, Prentice Hall.