Mod 3: Boosting Academic Skills and Motivation

Students may enter high school with high hopes about their future but may not be fully aware of what it takes to meet those long-term goals. One student may dream of a career in professional sports but not have the grades to be eligible to play on the high school team. Another student may want to go into medicine but not take the preparatory courses or pursue extracurricular activities that will lead them in that direction. And every year numerous students assume they will graduate but don’t take advantage of academic supports that would help them succeed in their coursework and pass high school assessments (HSA).

The first three lessons set the stage for finding purpose and achieving success in school and beyond. Goal Setting for School Success (3.1) introduces a strategy for choosing goals and using research-backed steps for achieving them (Halvorson, 2011). Obstacles and hurdles inevitably present themselves in pursuit of any endeavor. Applying Growth Mindset (3.2) and Bouncing Back from Setbacks (3.3) provide a powerful thinking strategy that helps students experience challenges and setbacks as part of learning—not as negative events that induce shame and shut down the learning process (Dweck, 2006; 1999).

The next three lessons introduce daily habits that help keep students on track academically. Optimizing In-Class Learning (3.4) highlights strategies that encourage engagement in class—including how they sit, track a lesson, speak up and take effective notes (Ellis, 1989; Pauk & Owens, 2013). As students become more autonomous in planning, organizing, and keeping on task with their academic work, time management becomes the most critical skill in their toolbox. Managing Time and Priorities (3.5) offers “Rocks in a Jar”—a key visualization strategy for prioritizing what they need to get done and in what order. Many students completing School-Connect say this activity spurred one of the most impactful academic habits they applied in high school. Overcoming Procrastination (3.6) explores one of the main challenges for students and helps them develop a tailor-made Procrastination-Prevention Plan including identifying their own procrastination style and targeting their biggest distractions, e.g., social media, computer games, and other digital enticements.

Identifying and practicing effective study habits draws on previous lessons. Maximizing Out-of-Class Learning (3.7) has students test and compare common study strategies for recalling knowledge, e.g., self-quizzing vs. re-reading and highlighting text (Dunlosky, et al., 2013). Making the Most of Test Prep (3.8) helps students strategize studying for exams, including a post-test self-assessment of their pre-test studying—a new strategy for many, and one that can help them improve their performance on end-of-year exams (Staton, 1982). The module culminates with a Studying Strategies Expo using PBL (3.9) followed by Mod 3 Reflection and Assessment (3.10).