“I hope I get an ‘A’ on this test!” How many times have teachers
heard these exact words from their students? Goodness knows, most
teachers would certainly love for their students to get an A, too!
Well, for teachers eager to help their students get more A’s, research suggests they should help their students get more hope.
Though it may seem like a simple, wishy-washy emotion, research suggests
cultivating hope is actually a complicated process—but there are significant rewards for those who make the effort.
Researchers
have found that students who are high in hope have greater academic
success, stronger friendships, and demonstrate more creativity and
better
problem-solving. They also have
lower levels of depression and anxiety and are
less likely to drop out from school.
But does this mean hope causes these benefits—or couldn’t success in
school and in making friends just give students more hope? In fact,
studies suggest that having hope may actually predict a student’s future academic achievement
more than having feelings of self-worth or a positive attitude towards life actually do.
So how do teachers know which students are high in hope? Easy: They are the students who
don’t take failure personally. Instead, they use it to improve their performance next time. They’re also more
optimistic, and, in the face of obstacles, they tell themselves, “I can do this. I won’t give up.”
Thankfully,
scientists
have found that the majority of students in the United States are very
hopeful. But what about those who aren’t? Oftentimes, students lose hope
as a result of their family circumstances. For example, one
study found that students who had witnessed violence against a family member or friend were less hopeful.
The good news is that hope can be cultivated, even among students who
are at risk for losing it. But first we have to understand what
scientists mean when they talk about hope.
Hope doesn’t mean wishful thinking—as in “I hope I win the lottery.” Instead, a person who is high in hope
knows how to do the following things.
- Set clear and attainable goals.
- Develop multiple strategies to reach those goals.
- Stay motivated to use the strategies to attain the goals, even when the going gets tough.
For educators who want to help their students build these skills of hope, here are five research-based guidelines.
1)
Identify and prioritize their top goals, from macro to micro.
Start by having students create a “big picture” list of what’s
important to them—such as their academics, friends, family, sports, or
career—and then have them reflect on which areas are most important to
them and how satisfied they are with each. Keep in mind that the goals
must be what the
students want,
not what their parents or schools want. Otherwise, as
studies suggest, they will quickly lose their interest and/or motivation, especially as they come up against obstacles.
Next, using this list, teach students how to create goals that are both specific and take a positive,
solutions-oriented
approach. Their goals need to focus on accomplishing something in the
future rather than avoiding something now—for instance, “I want to play
on the basketball team” is a more effective, motivating goal than “I
will stop drinking soda.”
Finally, students should rank their goals in order of importance.
Researchers
have found that this is particularly vital for students with little
hope, as they often attempt any goal that comes to mind, which distracts
their focus and energy from the goals that can have the greatest impact
on their overall well-being.
2)
Breakdown the goals—especially long-term ones—into steps. Research
has suggested that students with low hope frequently think goals have
to be accomplished all-at-once, possibly because they haven’t had the
parental guidance on how to achieve goals in steps. Teaching them how to
see their goals as a series of steps will also give students reasons to
celebrate their successes along the way—a great way to keep motivation
high!
3)
Teach students that there’s more than one way to reach a goal. Studies
show that one of the greatest challenges for students with low hope is
their inability to move past obstacles. They often lack key
problem-solving skills, causing them to abandon the quest for their
goals.
So teaching them to visualize different paths to their goals will
help them get beyond insurmountable barriers. Perhaps most importantly,
teachers need to make sure that students don’t equate those barriers
with a lack of talent; instead, they need to be reminded that everyone
faces obstacles. Success usually requires creative ways to overcome
these obstacles, not avoiding them altogether.
4)
Tell stories of success. Scientists
have found that hopeful students draw on memories of other successes
when they face an obstacle; however, students with low hope often don’t
have these kinds of memories. That’s why it’s vital for teachers to read
books or share stories of other people—especially kids—who have
overcome adversity to reach their goals.
5)
Keep it light and positive. It’s important to teach students to
enjoy the process of attaining their goals, even to laugh at themselves when they face obstacles and make mistakes. Above all,
no self-pity!
Research
has found that students who use positive self-talk, rather than beating
themselves up for mistakes, are more likely to reach their goals.
Helping our students cultivate hope might be one of the most
important things we do for them. Not only will it help them get more A’s
in the short-run; it’ll give them the confidence and creativity to
reach their long-term goals in school and in life.
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