Answer to Question 1
Modeling the value of hard work and commenting that hard work makes us smarter is the most effective action teachers can take to counter the tendency of older students to conclude that working hard is an indicator of low ability. Modeling is a powerful factor in learning, so modeling has a reasonable chance to be effective.
Answer to Question 2
Suggestions teachers can use to capitalize on learners' need to increase their motivation to learn include: (1) To meet students' needs for belonging and relatedness, treat them as people first, such as periodically asking about some aspect of their personal lives. (2) Involve students in decision making, which helps address their needs for autonomy. Decisions can be as simple as asking students to decide which row should line up for lunch first to more substantive decisions, such as forming classroom rules. (3) Help meet students' needs for competence by maintaining high expectations and praising students for effort and evidence of accomplishment. This form of praise provides evidence that their competence is increasing. An example would be periodically praising students for answers to indicate insight and deep understanding.