Does your teen have time for social media but none for schoolwork? Do they constantly scroll all day?
It may feel like their social media addiction is the cause of your child’s academic problems — but after over fifteen years of experience mentoring youth, I’ve seen that having their face constantly buried in a screen and their devices just a prosthetic extension of their arm are just surface-level symptoms of a deeper problem.
Teens who use YouTube or social media excessively, avoid studying for exams, and pick at their assignments are symptoms of a prevalent and serious problem in high school students – a vacuum of purpose and direction.
Imagine going through high school without a clear sense of direction. When you encounter something that challenges you mentally and emotionally, would you be willing to work the hours and nights to solve it? If you don’t know how this challenge benefits you or your future, would you continue working? You might do it out of pressure or maybe to avoid disappointing others, but it’s not a self-driven approach to taking ownership of your future.
When your child has no direction, they may show signs of disinterest initially. Over time, though, your child is going to feel stressed, frustrated, and defeated – like being in a maze blindfolded. If you don’t help their child get clarity on their future, don’t expect any improvement – but do expect that it’s going to negatively impact their marks and future opportunities as well as their mental health and well-being.
On the other hand, if a student has clear goals and knows the steps to get there, they‘ll be able to confidently and proactively smash those exams out of the park. A recent study from Cambridge University showed that having a sense of purpose and direction significantly impacts academic success, to the tune of about a 1.5 band grade difference in Math.
What’s the main difference? Students are motivated to study because they see how it aligns with their goals. They understand that to get to their goals, they must first put in the hours and effort. In turn, they manage their time and tasks proactively to achieve their desired results.
If your child has a goal, the next step is figuring out HOW to achieve it. Have you determined the key steps your child needs to reach their goal? We’re literally talking about the roadmap your child is going to use every day for the rest of their high school life so they don’t stray away from their goal.
The HOW is as powerful as the WHAT because as your child journeys through high school, they will face macro and micro decisions daily. Knowing the key steps to reach their goals will equip and empower them to make the right decisions, especially during tough moments.
To clarify your child’s goals and/or determine the steps they need to get there, we use three strategies for struggling students to become motivated, confident and score a 90+ in at least three subjects by the end of the term.
1. Future Navigator
About ten years ago, we realised that we wanted to give students a way to navigate their future – to not only help them articulate what they wanted but also self-select the steps to get there. That last part is critical and powerful because it’s proven to be the piece that makes the single most significant difference: ownership. When someone consciously commits to a chosen direction, they’ll move forward on their own and with confidence. There’s no need for constant pressure from external sources to keep them moving; in fact, the thing they’ll need externally is guidance and support. Conversely, we’ve seen students who didn’t actively choose their path crack from school or family pressures. Providing a key framework for navigating these complex decisions as they transition to young adulthood is critical for motivation.
2. Motivation Catalyst
Motivation is the engine that’s going to help your child accelerate their performance and power through when things get rough. But despite what some people think, it isn’t a light switch you can just turn on — it’s a lifelong skill that students should cultivate as they take their chosen path.
We love teaching teenagers how to build motivation. When their engine sputters, how can we add more power? What ‘fuel’ works best to motivate them? When there’s excess fuel, how can we store it for tougher times ahead? When they master the skill of motivation, your child can push through with full effort even when the work gets tough. That’s when you’ll see more of your child’s potential unlocked.
3. Strategy Implementation
Once you have the first two pieces in place, the third element really helps you supercharge your child’s performance because it ensures that things get done. We implement steps in an optimised and strategic way for your child while ensuring that they are well-supported. This approach minimises the bumps along the way, but at the same time increases your child’s resilience that they’re going to need for their academic journey and outside school.
What makes this strategy powerful and critical to your child’s success is that it diverts their energy to more productive and positive activities and breaks through limiting beliefs that they may have picked up from their environment so they can perform at their best.
Success in school isn’t just about study skills— it requires clear direction. It doesn’t have to be hard or complicated. But this clarity is the critical ‘microchip’ or ‘operation system’ that enables your child to manage time, build strong relationships, and develop the mental framework needed for life beyond school.
High school is just the qualifying phase for greater challenges in their university and careers. Students need to become well-rounded individuals who not only have the intellectual capacity but also the endurance and grit to navigate through life’s challenges. A clear sense of purpose provides that foundation.
If you want to help your child create a personalised roadmap for success that extends beyond the classroom, book a call with our education strategist today.
