The Master Teacher Blog

Students who are self-starters can feel like a gift in and to our classroom. These students are motivated, proactive, and independent. They take initiative and seek ownership, including in their learning, and they typically have high expectations and clear goals for their achievement.

Unfortunately, self-starting behaviors are far from universal in most classrooms. Several factors may be influencing this reality. For many students, the school experience is one in which they are expected to wait until told what to do and when to do it. Starting early, not waiting for directions, or otherwise showing initiative may offer few rewards. Sometimes, our expectations and behaviors can inadvertently discourage self-starting behaviors.

Meanwhile, the absence of self-starting behaviors seems to be even more pronounced following the pandemic. Some people speculate that when students were at home, their parents or guardians may have provided extensive support, detailed direction, and close supervision that fostered over-dependence. Others propose that isolation during the pandemic may have undermined some students’ confidence. Still others wonder if the absence of urgency and expectations for immediate engagement may have left students less focused and organized, less able to prioritize, and more reluctant to immediately perform assigned tasks.

Regardless of what may be contributing circumstances, experts point to at least five common causes for a lack of self-starting behaviors:

• Absence of clear expectations. Students may be reluctant to begin a task because they lack a clear understanding of what to do, how to do it, and what defines success.
• Over-dependency on others. Students may be accustomed to waiting for someone to show them how perform a task, having someone constantly checking to ensure each step is correct, or regularly being reminded of their responsibilities.
• Low levels of confidence. Students may be afraid that starting without detailed directions and expectations will mean that they will misstep, embarrass themselves, or be perceived as not being capable.
• Feeling overwhelmed. The introduction of a new, complex, multi-step task may seem like too much to process. Students may not know where to begin or how to break the task into manageable steps and pieces.
• Lack of motivation. Some students may be reluctant to invest energy in a task because they see no relevance or value in the process or outcome.

So, how can we teach and encourage students to be self-starters? Here are ten tips to consider and try:

• Establish routines. Consistency and predictability can give students a level of comfort to move forward with familiar procedures without feeling the need to always check, confirm, and seek permission.
• Provide clear directions and expectations. Be certain that students have the learning skills and tools to succeed. Teach and have students practice organizing, prioritizing, and sequencing multi-part tasks so they can learn and work independently.
• Break tasks into manageable parts. Students can become overwhelmed with too much complexity. Breaking processes into clear, low-risk steps can give students clarity and comfort to move forward.
• Avoid distractions. When presenting projects and tasks to be completed, avoid unrelated information, disconnected examples, and distracting stories that can introduce confusion and paralyze students from getting started.
• Build learning ownership. Provide students with options and choices. Offer flexibility in how students may approach and complete tasks. Where practical, encourage creativity and experimentation.
• Normalize mistakes. Reinforce that mistakes are natural companions to learning. Focus on what can be learned from missteps rather than punish or shame in response to errors.
• Build confidence. Remind students of their skills and strengths. It can be helpful to note their past successes. Share with students your belief that they can do it and that you will be there to support them.
• Focus on process over product. Coach students to give their attention to how to accomplish a task or perform a skill to build their competence and confidence. Ultimately, if students get the process correct, the product will take care of itself.
• Encourage positive self-talk. Affirmations can be powerful confidence builders. Visualizing success can lower anxiety and counter reluctance.
• Tap intrinsic motivation. Tapping into student interests, goals, curiosity, and values can make getting started easier and the work more rewarding. Even better, emphasize with students the power they possess to motivate themselves. Once developed, the ability to self-motivate can quickly become a superpower.

Learning to be a self-starter not only offers a powerful advantage in school and with learning, but self-starting can also be a lifelong success generator. We may need to shift some of our practices. We may occasionally need to expand our patience. We may even need to tolerate occasional false starts. However, the long-term benefit of helping students to become self-starters will be more than worth the effort.

As educators, a foundational component of who we are and what we do is that we want our students to be successful. The curriculum we will teach is filled with important content, concepts, and skills we want our students to learn. We also want our students to become proficient, engaged, and self-reliant learners. While the content itself is certainly important, learning how to learn, developing independent learning skills and habits, and navigating learning challenges will likely be more determinative of lifelong success than the facts and formulas found in formal assessments.

We also know that when our entire focus is on students absorbing curricular content and preparing for formal assessments, our students are likely to miss the authentic, real-world relevance of what they learn. Additionally, they are likely to quickly forget much of the content once it has been assessed.

Our greater challenge is to develop learners who possess the skills to learn independently, the mindsets necessary to learn in a variety of environments, and the drive to learn for intrinsic reasons. As we contemplate the beginning of another year, whether we have already begun school or not, we might consider what mindsets students need to develop and how we can help students become skilled, proficient, motivated learners. Here are five learning mindsets that deserve to be on our agenda.

Ownership: When students see learning as something they do for themselves, rather than to comply with or please others, their efforts grow and learning outcomes improve. Most learning students do outside of school has ownership built into it in some way, such as when it is connected to a student’s personal interests or job, but school-based learning often does not. We can coach students to take ownership of their learning by giving then meaningful choices in that learning, by connecting their learning to uses and purposes that hold value for them individually, and by giving them a shared role in tracking their progress.

Confidence: Lack of confidence can prevent students from engaging in challenging tasks and lead them to abandon their efforts when they encounter difficulties or feel stuck. Initially, our coaching may be as simple as helping students take the first steps to get started. Then, we can help them build their confidence by coaching them to connect good strategies and smart efforts to overcoming challenges. We might even coach students to recall past experiences in which they took risks and persisted to succeed despite the difficulties they encountered and challenges they faced. Confidence grows with progress, support, and success.

Resilience: Resilience helps students to recover quickly from missteps, setbacks, and disappointments. However, resilience is more than just getting back up after being knocked down; it also includes learning from the experience so that reengagement is more insightful and strategic. Our coaching needs to extend beyond encouragement for recommitment to thoughtful reflection, meaningful analysis, and considered adjustment.

Focus: When students learn how to truly focus, their productivity increases. Multitasking, distractions, and interruptions make learning more challenging and can shorten learning retention. Our coaching might include helping students to set learning goals, having students practice gradually extending the amount of time they are able to concentrate, and helping students to structure and arrange their study environment to minimize distractions. Putting a phone screen-down on the desk (or better yet, in a backpack) or removing a smartwatch can be a tremendous start!

Organization: Organization is the infrastructure that helps students to make the best use of their effort and maximize their progress. Time management helps students to accomplish more with the limited time they have. Knowing where they can locate needed tools and resources reduces the effort necessary to complete tasks. Maintaining a structure for files, correspondence, and other information can reduce memory lapses and missed deadlines. Our coaching to acquire organizational tools, habits, and strategies can help students to maintain learning momentum and reduce distractions and frustrations.

These five mindsets—ownership, confidence, resilience, focus, and organization—not only can make our students better learners, but they can significantly improve their chances for a life of success and satisfaction.

When we recognize and nurture our students’ unique strengths, our instruction becomes more effective. We are likely to experience greater success with students when we know and can draw on their strengths compared to when we focus too heavily on correcting or accommodating their weaknesses. Of course, weaknesses and faults are often easier to spot.  

Identifying strengths can be more challenging, so we might find ourselves needing to create opportunities for students to discover and demonstrate their own unique strengths. The most direct path to finding the strengths our students possess is to operate under the assumption that every student has strengths to be tapped and nurtured. We are more likely to find strengths when we believe they are present and thus actively look for them. Conversely, when we doubt or do not readily assume the potential of students, we are more likely to see their limitations and weaknesses.  

The strengths of some students are obvious and easy to spot. These students may even be quick to directly tell us about and confidently demonstrate their strengths. Other students, though, may be more reluctant to reveal their strengths, and some may even choose to hide them due to lack of confidence, fear of standing out, or desire to avoid being teased or embarrassed.  

If we hope to have students discover, share, and develop their strengths, we need to create a safe environment for them to be themselves. They must feel safe in order to fully reveal and leverage their strengths as they learn and grow, and we can support them by establishing norms of respect, reinforcing the importance of individual uniqueness, and providing space for students to create, experiment, and explore. 

Fortunately, there also are a variety of steps we can take and strategies we can employ to become aware of, validate, and nurture our students’ strengths. Here are eight options to consider:  

• Invite parents and guardians to share what they see as their child’s strengths, as they are often in the best position to observe behavior across a variety of formal and informal settings. They may also be encouraging and nurturing strengths on which we can build.  

• Consult with colleagues who have experience with the student(s). Students may demonstrate strengths with some applications and in certain areas while not necessarily demonstrating them in other situations. Hearing what colleagues have noticed can add important pieces to the strengths puzzle. 

• Give students choices in their learning. When given opportunities and options, students typically go to their strengths or what they see as their strengths. Open-ended projects and activities can reveal strengths that otherwise might remain hidden, or, in some cases, students may choose to learn in an area of initial interest that can then be nurtured and built into a newfound strength.  

• Learn about students’ lives outside of the classroom. Areas of interest, hobbies, extracurriculars, and other activities outside of the classroom can be rich sources for the discovery of talents and abilities. Students may demonstrate a strength in one setting, such as the arts or athletics, but fail to see the potential for its application in more formal learning environments. The more we know about our students outside of class, the more options we have for drawing out their strengths in the classroom.  

• Observe students’ actions and interactions during times such as class discussions, small-group work, or even presentations and demonstrations. Students often provide evidence of strengths during these more organic times that can take us by surprise.  

• Pay attention to students as they interact with their friends, classmates, and others. Informal activities such as these offer excellent opportunities to observe strengths and skills such as listening, negotiation, leadership, conflict resolution, and so on.  

• Vary the types of assessments used to document student learning. Some students will shine when given closed-ended assessment prompts while others will soar with more open-ended demonstrations, presentations, and essays. Varied assessment styles can also give us a more complete picture of what students are learning but may struggle with or be reluctant to demonstrate. 

• Offer students opportunities to discover strengths of which they may be unaware. We can expose student to different activities, ways of thinking, and novel approaches related to the curriculum that may open doors of discovery, stimulate an interest, or ignite a new passion.  

The more we know about our students and their strengths, the more opportunities we have to reach, teach, and inspire them. Further, appealing to and building on students’ strengths can build their confidence, lift their aspirations, and expand their learning skills. 

Most of us wish that we would remember more of what we experience and learn. For educators, our wish may also extend to our students and their ability to retain what we teach them. Of course, we do not need to remember everything we encounter in life. In fact, if we remembered everything that happens to and around us, we would quickly become overwhelmed.

The key is to increase recall of what is important and likely to be useful in the future. In fact, the purpose of memory is to build “economy” in the brain, with the “currency” of the brain being the energy expended. Memory helps to reduce the need to spend that energy re-experiencing or relearning past events, happenings, and information.

In a recent Fast Company article, psychology professor Art Markman, PhD, provides some useful insights regarding how the brain and memory work. He describes three types of memory:

• Episodic memory stores the things that happen in our lives. We recall episodes such as what we did, with whom we spoke, and what we observed. Episodic memory involves experiences that are important enough to preserve and access when needed in the future.
• Procedural memory stores the processes and procedures for accomplishing tasks, solving problems, and recalling directions. Procedural memory involves activities such as recalling a driving route, how to type, and how to tie our shoes, and it helps us to perform tasks with greater confidence, focus, and speed.
• Semantic memory stores our understanding of language, words, and concepts. Semantic memory helps us to connect symbols to meaning. It helps us to quickly understand and grasp meaning and implications and assists us to communicate efficiently with others.

Each of these categories of memory plays an important, often overlapping, role in our lives and recollections. Each type of memory also plays a role in the learning and recall ability of our students. Of course, it might also be helpful to introduce students to these memory types and help them to see how the three types of memory might play a role in their learning and life in general.

Markman also describes two key factors that influence whether the brain chooses to recall an experience, process, or information regardless of the type of memory involved: the need for effort and perceived importance. When what we are experiencing requires effort to understand or perform, our brains are more likely to pay attention. Similarly, if the activity seems important, our brains play closer attention and are more likely to retain the experience.

While this information can help us to focus and improve our memory, we can also employ it to increase the probability that our students will recall what they learn if we design and include these factors in the learning environment we create. Consider these four effort- and importance-related factors that play a role in learning and recall.

Purpose

When students understand the purpose and value associated with what they are learning, we tap the importance factor. For many students, this element feels like a value proposition. They ask themselves, “How important is this information, and will I use it again?” If the purpose is only to do well on an assessment, then after the assessment is administered, the brain will likely let the information go since the purpose has been served. On the other hand, if students see value and purpose beyond the immediate learning context, recall is more likely to be extended.

Efficiency

When students understand that the effort they are investing in learning can make a process, procedure, or related work more efficient in the future, their brains are more likely to pay attention and retain what they are learning. Showing students how their new learning will make their lives easier and future work more efficient increases the probability that they will remember.

Intensity

When students experience strong emotions associated with learning, the brain interprets the experience as important. Consequently, recall goes up. Excitement, delight, surprise, shock, and other emotional energy generators associated with learning signal the brain that the information and memory might be important in the future.

Struggle

When students find that they need to focus and give significant effort to their learning, we tap the effort factor. In learning, “easy come” often translates to “easy go.” Students can quickly forget what seemed easy to learn. Of course, they also need to see progress or productivity because of the effort they give, or we risk having them give up altogether. Unfortunately, when the effort required becomes too great, the brain often calculates that the experience may not be worth the effort, and it will not store much of what it takes in.

We need to do all that we can to help students to understand and tap the power of their brains to store and recall what is most important. Fortunately, we can tap the dual forces of effort and importance to make it a more manageable task.

Resource:

Markman, A. (April 25, 2024). How your brain decides which memories to save. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/91111703/how-your-brain-decides-which-memories-to-save

It is no secret that students learn more from us than what can be found in the formal lessons we teach. In fact, students often learn more from what we notice, what we ignore, and what we avoid than what is in their textbooks, the curriculum, or the standards they are expected to master.

Students often repeat what we say, imitate what we do, and embrace what we value. Consequently, it is important for us to be planful and strategic about what we notice, call out, and hold up in response to student behavior.

We know that if we spend most of our time correcting unacceptable behavior rather than reinforcing positive, appropriate behavior, many students will misbehave just to receive our attention. On the other hand, when students recognize that expected behavior is noticed and reinforced, they are more likely to adjust their behavior in that direction. This insight is one of the secrets of good classroom management.

The dynamic is also at play in more subtle and nuanced ways relative to specific behaviors. What we notice and reinforce every day, and in every circumstance, sends a message to students about what matters and the behavior patterns they should develop. When we focus our attention and recognition on specific circumstances and student actions, our influence can be even more pervasive.

Let’s examine five student behaviors that are closely associated with success in school and life. When we consistently recognize and reinforce these behaviors, we teach students their value and deepen their impact. We also increase the likelihood that students will see these behaviors as part of their identity and continue to practice them long after they leave us.

The first behavior is hustle. Students who hustle give consistent effort. They are often self- starters who need minimal encouragement to begin tackling a problem, practicing a skill, or completing a task. Self-starters frequently do more than the minimum or what is expected. They give consistent effort and look for ways to move ahead.

Also important is persistence. Students who demonstrate persistenceconsistently show up ready to work, even when it is hard. Persistent students keep going even after a setback. They push through struggles while looking for better approaches and more effective strategies. These students are committed to finding success and remain confident even before the outcome of their efforts is assured.

Another behavior that is closely associated with success is mastery of mistakes. This behavior should not be confused with carelessness. These students are willing to take learning risks that may lead to mistakes because they see mistakes as lessons to be learned and opportunities to try a difference approach. They accept mistakes as temporary, natural parts of learning.

Still another key success-generating behavior is optimism. These students are not unrealistically positive. They understand that learning and other efforts may be difficult, and they know they will experience setbacks. But they also believe that if they give their best effort and remain patient, the situations they face will improve, and they will eventually succeed. These students are more likely to see opportunities in difficulties than to become distracted by what is frustrating to them.

The fifth behavior is curiosity. Admittedly, curious students can sometimes be a challenge for us. They may ask lots of questions, have an active imagination, or present a unique perspective on the topics and issues at hand. However, their curiosity can be a powerful learning tool. Curiosity can open doors to possibilities, uncover hidden insights, and suggest new approaches to explore. In fact, curiosity is so powerful that it alone can overcome the typical learning challenges associated with poverty. We need to do all we can to preserve and nurture our students’ curiosity.

We might choose to formalize our recognition of these behaviors into daily shoutouts, weekly acknowledgments, or periodic awards. We just need to be certain that any student, regardless of academic performance, can receive them. Meanwhile, we need to remember that it is our daily recognition and reinforcement that will make the greatest impact.

We hear a lot about the practices we should use to ensure learning for our students. Of course, we want our students to be successful and our instruction to make a positive impact. However, simply pulling a strategy “off the shelf” or defaulting to the most recently read article or staff development session topic may not generate the results we seek.  

Experienced educators know that generic approaches and widely hailed strategies do not necessarily work with all students, including ours. We often need a guide or process to sort among potential approaches and practices to find the learning experience we can design that will have the greatest positive impact on our students’ learning.  

Fortunately, we can follow a path to survey possibilities, evaluate options, and ultimately settle on the instructional practices that hold the greatest potential for our students. We might start broadly, then narrow our consideration based on our context, and finally, match the strategy or practice we consider with the specific needs and readiness of a group of students or even a single student.   

We can begin with a set of practices commonly known as best practices. Best practices are typically widely employed. They have been found to be effective by one or more credible research studies. They are considered consistent with dominant thought about learning and teaching, and they have generally been shown to work with many students in a variety of circumstances. However, student needs and learning readiness vary. A single best practice will not work with every student or in every context. For example, applying a best practice that has been shown to be effective with students who possess extensive background knowledge may not be even remotely effective with students who are unfamiliar with the content and concepts involved. Highly motivated students might respond to a certain best practice while more reluctant and distracted learners will not. We might think of best practices as a menu of options to consider, but we need to be cautious about blindly adopting a practice just because a specific research study, or even multiple studies, found them to be useful, or just because other educators are using it. 

A second set of practices and level of consideration might be thought of as promising practices. We can filter promising practices from best practices for the types of learners, learning challenges, and learning contexts within which they will work. Promising practices are good options when they have a solid base of credibility with the type of students we are teaching. However, even promising practices require our careful examination. They are more tailored than best practices, but they often still lack a key feature, in that they may not match the learning specific needs and readiness of our learners. Their utility still depends on matching what we know about our learners and our instructional and learning goals.  

This second level of sifting takes us to a third and even more powerful set of practices: effective practices. Effective practices go one step further to consider the learner. Best practices and promising practices become effective practices when they are matched to the learning readiness of the student or students with whom we are working. The nexus of learner and practice determines what will generate high-leverage learning.  

Of course, there are times when what has been considered best practice and even promising practice will not be what our students need and will not generate the learning we seek. These are times when we may need to reverse the process and ask ourselves—and even our students—what may work in this circumstance and then match, modify, or invent the approach that will create the most successful learning experience. We can still benefit from reviewing best practices and promising practices to ensure that we have considered a broad array of options, of course, but customization may be the key to finding success.   

Without question, best practices and promising practices deserve a place in our instructional design considerations. However, neither will guarantee success unless they match the needs and learning readiness of our unique students.  

As much as we might want to believe otherwise, grades as they are typically employed are not very effective learning motivators. Certainly, they can be used to get students to do more work, avoid embarrassment, sidestep punishment, and achieve status—but they can also cause students to find shortcuts to avoid true learning. In common practice, grades operate mostly as an extrinsic motivator, and unfortunately, the more grades are used to motivate, the less effective they become.  

Grades too often become the goal of learning rather than a reflection of learning. We even say things like “Work hard so that you get a good grade!” when we should be encouraging students to work hard so that they learn. When they do, their grades will generally take care of themselves. 

Nevertheless, grades are deeply embedded in the life and culture of most schools. As much as we might sometimes like to ignore or abandon them, grades remain a part of our reality. The question is, are there ways we can position grades and our grading practices to motivate students and encourage them to focus on learning? Here are five strategies to consider.  

First, we can support and build motivation when we grade against clear criteria or rubrics (criterion-referenced assessments) and not other students (norm-referenced assessments). The best motivation for improvement comes when students compete with their own past performance. Motivation grows when students see next steps and the path to success. Grading that compares a student’s performance to the performance of other students can undermine motivation for those who might believe they may not measure up or cannot catch up. Further, grading against the performance of other students does not tell students whether they have learned what was intended, just how they did relative to other students.  

Second, we might emphasize learning and progress in addition to performance. Students typically become more motivated when they can see and track their progress. We might collect data regarding what students know at the beginning of a learning and teaching cycle in order to gain an understanding of their prior knowledge and create a baseline to track future progress. We need to avoid grading what students know before they are asked to learn. Data from initial work can be compared to performance at the end of a unit or learning cycle to document learning progress. As a result, we have access to what knowledge students have gained as we consider assigning grades, not just what they know and may already knew prior to the learning and teaching cycle. 

Third, and related, we can delay the assignment of grades as long as possible. Multiple research studies have documented the motivational power of timely, specific, objective, actionable feedback, especially when it is not attached to a grade. Unfortunately, when grades are attached to feedback, they tend to overshadow the information, and feedback is ignored. Further, students often see assignment of a grade as a sign that learning is complete, and they no longer focus on learning effort. 

Fourth, we might give students opportunities to have their best work considered for grading. The purpose of grades is to reflect what students have learned, so it makes sense to consider the work that best represents their learning. As examples, when students submit multiple assignments, complete multiple assessments, or create multiple products, we might allow them to choose the pieces of evidence that best represent their learning to be evaluated for grading. Another option is to allow students to have a lowest score dropped to avoid them giving up if they did poorly on a single task or assessment. Limited and targeted retakes or resubmissions can also motivate students to keep learning.  

Fifth, if we choose to award extra credit, we can award credit for extra learning. The practice of awarding extra credit for actions unrelated to learning may compel students to work toward a higher grade, but it does little, if anything, to move learning forward. On the other hand, we can recognize additional learning. As examples, students might choose to pursue greater understanding of a concept, dig deeper into a topic, or explore an implication associated with what we have been teaching. The opportunity to receive credit for additional learning and have their work reflected in a grade can be a learning motivator.  

It is true that over-emphasis on grades can corrupt learning. However, with deployment of thoughtful grading practices, we can minimize the distraction grades can present and build motivation for students to learn.  

We might not think much about tapping our students’ brain chemicals to support learning. Yet, those chemicals play an important role and thus are worthy of our attention. Naturally produced by the brain, these chemicals serve a variety of purposes, from making us alert and keeping us safe to calming our nerves and helping us to feel pleasure.

Dopamine is one of these brain-produced chemicals, found in the pleasure and reward center of the brain. Consequently, it can play a particularly helpful role in learning. Specifically, researchers have found that dopamine can have a positive impact on learning in three ways.

First, dopamine increases motivation. Dopamine has the effect of increasing the desire to repeat behaviors that generate feelings of pleasure, accomplishment, and reward. Dopamine is the ultimate positive reinforcement, and, equally important, it can be tapped repeatedly without losing its impact. The more we experience dopamine, the more likely we are to seek it.

Second, dopamine increases engagement and lengthens attention spans. Consequently, it increases learning efficiency and leads to success with fewer unsuccessful attempts. Dopamine also increases spatial learning, helping us to feel a stronger sense of context and connections.

Third, dopamine improves memory. The sensation dopamine creates increases our ability to focus. It also improves working memory, a powerful driver of academic success. Further, dopamine aids in recollection of past events and experiences, thus extending recall of what has been learned.

The bottom line: Dopamine can be a powerful force for learning.

Of course, this is a time of the school year when we are often challenged to motivate our students to focus on learning and recall what they have learned. Finding ways to tap dopamine in the brains of our students can be a key to meeting this challenge. Here are six strategies to employ.

First, we can offer students opportunities to be creative, curious, and inventive. The arts can be a great vehicle for students to express themselves. Composing, drawing, painting, performing, and designing activities are excellent stimuli for dopamine. Dopamine flows in a context of imagination and discovery.

Second, we might design learning activities that involve teamwork. Dopamine can be activated when we engage in efforts and activities that extend beyond ourselves. We often find significance and pleasure in being a part of something larger than us. Activities such as collective problem solving, service projects, and project-based learning are good examples. Experiencing human interaction and peer recognition and feeling supported can be effective generators of dopamine.

Third, we might coach students to set goals, track their progress, and celebrate accomplishments. When students feel as though they are on the right path, maintaining focus, making progress, and reaching benchmarks, dopamine can be plentiful. In fact, when we teach this skill and habit to students, we equip them with a lifelong, autonomous way to access dopamine whenever they choose.

Fourth, we can provide positive feedback, encouragement, and reassurance. Our timely, specific, positive, and actionable feedback can provide a shot a dopamine for students, especially for students who may lack confidence, have a history of learning struggles, or be prone to giving up. Of course, our feedback needs to be connected to students’ actions rather than their abilities or characteristics. Students can control their actions, such as the strategies and effort they employ, but they cannot control their natural ability or physical characteristics.

Fifth, we can activate dopamine through games, fun, and humor. We might change up some routines or inject some fun where possible. As examples, we might shift the label for learning geometry proofs to something like, “What the Logic?” or relabeling quizzes to “Show What You Know.” Starting the day with a relevant but respectful joke can break the routine and stimulate a dose of dopamine. Even finding humor in unexpected happenings and distractions can create some dopamine flow.

Sixth, we might introduce new and exciting challenges. Simulations, investigations, and explorations can be great ways to create a rush of dopamine. The key is to position the experience to be challenging enough to require effort, but not so difficult as to feel beyond reach.

Finding ways to engage students, increase learning efficiency, and extend recall of what students learn can be a constant quest. Fortunately, designing activities and employing strategies that release the flow of dopamine in our students’ brains can help us to meet this challenge, especially now.

As we near the final weeks of the school year, we might struggle to have students remain engaged in their learning. Yet, the time we have with students at this point in the year can be exceptionally rich—if they remain focused and challenged. We know our students; we have built relationships and established trust. Some of the best learning of the year should happen now. Further, if students remain focused and engaged, we can avoid many behavior challenges and distractions that often accompany this time of the year.

Fortunately, there are several strategies based in cognitive science upon which we can draw to maintain momentum and stimulate continued learning. Here are six strategies to consider and tap.

Coming attraction: What now? Often referred to as “priming questions,” we can capture students’ attention with questions that preview new learning and pique their curiosity. As examples: “How can knowing fractions help you to become rich?” Or “How can listening become a personal superpower?” The questions can also be used to define the purpose of new learning. The answer to the question becomes something to actively discover rather than information to be passively received. Questions can also be more interesting than a learning goal statement. The questions become even more useful when we pause instruction periodically and invite students to describe their evolving knowledge and understanding of the question and what it means.

Confounding: What’s this? We can break up routines by adding mystery, conflict, novelty, and surprise to capture attention, generate excitement, and pique curiosity. As examples, we might provide just enough information on a topic to pique students’ interests. We can offer a short overview without sharing too much. We might invite students to speculate, question, and imagine. We might surprise students with the arrival of an unannounced visitor with a problem or mystery for the class to solve. We might unveil a picture that invites discussion or investigation. We can allow students to “light the path” to discovery as we respond strategically to their interest, curiosity, and growing understanding.

Connecting: What’s new; what’s old? After we have introduced a new piece of content or skill and students have grasped the essentials, we can challenge them to connect their new learning to what they have already learned. For example, we might have students form small groups to discuss connections with past learning. We can provide them with a resource packet to assist their efforts. For example, we might share a syllabus, a description of past learning standards, past assignments and assessments, and other related items. After revisiting their learning and discussing connections, groups can report the connections they have identified. Meanwhile, we can monitor what may be missing and may require reteaching. Not only will students make important connections, but we will also be stimulating and extending their recall of past learning.

Consolidating: Can you teach it? One of the most effective ways to ensure students learn and retain new content is to have them teach each other. Students might be allowed to choose what aspect of new learning they would like to teach. Their instruction might be to small groups or the entire class, depending on variables such as the time available and the topics to be taught. Teaching others what they have learned generates greater purpose for learning, more focused attention, more authentic responsibility, and increased integration of what has been learned.

Contemplating: What’s your question? Having students generate questions about what they have learned is a great way to increase comprehension, consolidate learning, and extend recall. Consider having students submit questions for possible inclusion on a future learning assessment. Of course, we may need to teach how to frame a good question, including how to encourage depth of response and elaboration. While it may not be realistic to include all the questions students submit, we might commit to a set number of questions from those submitted. Beyond the learning benefits of forming assessment questions, students are often eager to respond to what they and other students have submitted.

Collecting: What do you recall? We might periodically select content that we want students to solidify in their memories. Called retrieval practice, this activity has students list everything they can recall regarding a concept, skill, or topic they studied. Students might make a list, create a mind map, or verbally discuss what they can remember. We can invite students to fill in each other’s recollection gaps. Multiple studies have shown retrieval practice to be exceptionally effective in building long-term memory and improving recall.

The final weeks of the school year can be a time of disruption and distraction—but they can also be a prime time for learning. It is a good time to tap what cognitive science has to offer to support our efforts and our students’ growth.