The relationship between teachers' statements about classroom tasks and the degree of subsequent student engagement were studied to test the influence of teachers' expectations. Task presentation statements made by teachers in 6 reading and mathematics classes for the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades were classified according to 18 categories of expressed beliefs or expectations. Students' subsequent engagement with each task was coded as: (1) clearly engaged; (2) probably engaged; and (3) clearly not engaged. It was expected that engagement would be highest after positive expectation statements and lowest after negative statements. However, student engagement was generally higher when teachers moved directly into tasks than when they began with any presentation statement. Although the data suggested that negative task introductions are counterproductive, the parallel data for positive task introduction produced weak and ambiguous associations. The most likely explanation is that the data reflect the effects of situational factors of each task assignment, rather than the effects of the statements themselves or student motivation. Other factors for consideration in future research include the frequency of motivation attempts, task variables, and the size and design of research studies. (FG)