4 Ways to Use the Fresh Start Effect to Motivate Students

A student slouches into class, weighed down by yesterday’s quiz on figurative language, which went badly for him. His shoulders sag. His notebook stays closed. He looks ready to give up.

But today is Do Over Day. Instead of charging ahead with new material, I invite him to show what he’s learned since that quiz. He hands me a rewritten paragraph, packed with sharper similes and metaphors. He’s annotated a mini-guide on personification and paradox. He even pulls fresh examples from his favorite song lyrics. Then, step by step, he explains for each example how the device works and why it fits.

I replace his original grade with this new one, fully updating it to reflect his current understanding—the Do Over grade doesn’t average with the old score; it becomes the only grade for that assignment. When class ends, the student doesn’t just have a passing score. He has something better: proof that yesterday’s failure isn’t today’s story.

That process captures what psychologists call “the fresh start effect.” Research shows that people are more likely to pursue goals and try harder right after meaningful time markers—like the start of a semester, the first class after a break, or just any Monday morning. These markers create a mental line between the “old me” and the “new me,” helping us let go of past struggles and lean into growth with renewed effort.

As my Do Over Day demonstrates, teachers don’t have to wait for the calendar to create these turning points—we can design them on purpose. Here are four classroom moves I use to set up fresh starts and boost students’ motivation.

1. Schedule Do Over Days

Every few weeks, I dedicate at least part of a class period—typically 20–30 minutes—to revisions, retakes, and unfinished work. Occasionally, if students need more time, we devote the full period to Do Over Day. No new content is introduced. Students know this is their chance to wipe the slate clean. I encourage them to show mastery in more than one way through corrected work, a project, or reteaching the concept aloud. One student recently rewrote his essay introduction with clearer evidence. Another created a short slideshow explaining grammar rules to the class.

Why this works: A planned reset functions like a calendar landmark. Students mentally put the poor quiz or essay in the past and approach revisions as the “new me” who is capable of success. Plus, having time to address and learn from feedback can also motivate students, research demonstrates.

Try this:

• Place one Do Over Day in each unit.
• Allow multiple demonstration formats, such as projects, corrections, or explanations.
• Update grades to reflect current understanding and emphasize growth.

2. Reset After Breaks With Reflection

On the first day back from winter or spring break, I resist the urge to dive into lessons. Instead, students open their journals and write one academic and one personal goal for the quarter. These are specific goals, like “I will contribute in every discussion” or “I will read 10 minutes each night.” Later, we revisit these goals. One student proudly reported that while she still struggled with sleep, she had met her academic target of reading consistently outside class.

Why this works: Breaks are natural landmarks. Reflection sharpens the sense of a new chapter, making students more likely to act on their goals. Also, research supports giving students time to set and track goals, which improves motivation during learning and enhances their drive and resilience.

Try this:

• Dedicate five minutes after each break for goal writing.
• Invite (or assign) partner sharing for accountability so that every student has someone to reflect with.
• Revisit goals midway through the quarter to refresh commitment and celebrate early progress.

3. Reframe Grades as Checkpoints

In my classroom, a first submission is never final. Essays and quizzes are checkpoints—a chance to pause, reflect, and try again. I give targeted feedback on two or three specific changes and invite resubmission. When students revise, their new grade replaces the old one—again, it’s a clean slate, not an average. One student who earned a C on her first essay later told me, “Calling it a checkpoint made me want to try again.” That’s the point: Feedback should feel like a door opening, not a verdict closing.

Why this works: The fresh start effect relies on separating past from present. Because I call early attempts checkpoints, students view feedback as temporary guidance, not a permanent label.

Try this:

• Use the term “checkpoint” on drafts and quizzes.
• Provide limited, clear next steps.
• Require revisions quickly to maintain momentum.

4. Use Environmental Cues for New Beginnings

When launching a new unit, I change the classroom setup—putting desks sometimes in clusters, sometimes in rows, sometimes in a circle. I update wall displays with new essential questions or quotes. I might also open with a quick-write or puzzle to shift the energy. A student once walked in after I moved desks and said, “It feels like a new class.” That is exactly the effect I want.

Why this works: Environmental shifts make the boundary between old and new visible. The stronger the boundary, the stronger the fresh start effect.

Try this:

• Rearrange seating at unit launch.
• Post new unit questions where students will see them as they walk into the room.
• Begin with a short new ritual to signal the change, like adding music that goes with the unit, a new bulletin board for students to interact with, or a small “mystery box” tied to the new unit. For example, before our poetry unit, I placed objects like a feather, an old ticket stub, and a song lyric inside. Students worked in groups to infer the connection between the objects. This activity signals that something new and engaging is beginning.

More Beginnings, More Motivation

Motivation grows when belief and evidence align. Students need proof that effort leads to growth, and they need many opportunities to see themselves begin again.

Every Do Over Day, reflection, checkpoint, or small triumph tells students the same thing: You are more than your last mistake. When teachers design fresh starts on purpose, we do more than boost motivation—we help students believe in their capacity to begin again.