In The ClassroomOpinionTop Story
How to help students value school and schoolwork this year: Opinion
How much students value school and schoolwork will have a significant bearing on many educational outcomes, including their engagement, learning and achievement. In numerous ways, COVID-19 has impacted students’ valuing of school and schoolwork. In this article, I want to look at where valuing sits in the scheme of students’ motivation, how COVID-19 has impacted it, the key parts of students’ valuing, and what practical strategies educators can apply this year to boost and sustain students’ valuing.
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We have also found that teaching students about how their brains work, the role of dopamine, serotonin and cortisol etc., in our choice and decision making, the difference between wants and needs, how our brains respond to goal setting and planning, the role of perseverance and chunking big goals into smaller, more achievable ones all give students a better understanding of what is going on for them in everyday choice making and behaviour. They have been through disruptions, disjointed perceptions of what lies ahead, and trying to make meaning of life in a ‘new’ world. Understanding how the brain works can lead to a greater sense of control in reflecting on and adjusting their world view.