Asset #21 - Achievement Motivation - Young person is motivated to do well in school.
Consider this...
Being motivated to do well in school means different things to different people. It does not necessarily mean getting all A's or acing standardized tests. It does mean doing your best work, caring about your performance, having a positive attitude, and treating failure or disappointments as opportunities for growth.
Try this...
ADULTS:
- Believe that all young people can learn.
- Find ways to publicly acknowledge many types of school achievement (such as letter jackets for arts activities, awards ceremonies for school citizenship, and so on).
- Keep in mind that some achievements take lots of time; be patient and recognize small steps in a larger process.
- Discover what motivates students (such as pleasing parents or achieving a goal) and seek ways to build on as well as expand that motivation.
- Be aware that girls are more likely than boys to have this asset (74% of girls vs. 60% of boys).
- Encourage learning beyond the "typical" school subjects, for example, study popular music as a way of understanding recent history and cultural trends.
- Keep your parents informed about what you're doing in school.
- Be a role model for your younger siblings by showing them that you think school and learning are important.
- If you're having problems with school, talk with your parents/guardians (or teachers) to figure out why and what to do.