Effective teachers not only transfer knowledge to students, but are thoughtful and willing to understand their students so as to establish a classroom culture that supports student achievement students. This paper will focus on what motivation means, how to motivate students, and the impact of motivation on student attitudes both inside and outside the classroom. Furthermore, the document will address the role of parents as role models and the impact of their involvement on their children's education. Student Motivation and its Effects on Student Achievement Every child has the capacity to be a great learner or student and this capacity is present in every stage of their life. Unfortunately these learning potentials are not always maximized because the right procedures are not always implemented by teachers in the classroom. Gottfried defines motivation as “the enjoyment of school learning characterized by an orientation towards mastery; curiosity; persistence; endogeneity of the task; and learning challenging, difficult, and new tasks.” Although the relationship between motivation and academic performance for at-risk students is not well established (Long, 2007), research has revealed that there is a strong relationship between high academic motivation and academic performance (Hoang, 2007). The effect of academic motivation on academic achievement as it relates to at-risk students and the student body in general is what this research paper investigates. Existing Knowledge of Academic Achievement Views of Motivation Several theories exist as researchers examine what motivates individuals to achieve. However, there are two main views of motivation to measure motivation: achievement goal theory and s...... middle of paper ...... Teamwork, 34(2), 118-136. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.Gottfried, A., et. Al (2009). A latent curve model of parental motivational practices and developmental decline in mathematics and science academic intrinsic motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(3), 729-739. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.Hoang, TN (2007). The relationships between parenting and adolescent motivation. International Whole School Journal, 3(2), 1-21. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.Long, JF et. al (2007). Academic motivation and achievement among urban adolescents. Urban Education, 4(3), 196-222. Retrieved from .Warner, C.B., & Phelps, R.E. (2008). The relationship between motivational orientation and educational aspirations in urban and African American youth. Journal of Middle Grades Research, 3(2), 71-85. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.