| "Study skills are boring!" That is what most | | | | personal power. And they learn important life-long |
| students tell me when I first meet them. | | | | skills that will someday help them manage a home |
| Boring!? These are skills that can help them get | | | | and career. |
| better grades and spend less time on | | | | These may sound like lofty concepts, but they |
| homework...how can they be boring? | | | | have real, concrete implications. For example, as |
| Honestly, there is a good explanation for the bad | | | | parents and educators: |
| rap that study skills have developed over the | | | | " We can acknowledge that organizing papers and |
| years because a lot of boring things are labeled as | | | | school-work is difficult because traditional systems |
| "study skills." Learning how to use guide words in | | | | actually complicate the process. We can then |
| a dictionary...a necessary skill, but boring! SQ3R...a | | | | explore principles for organizing and strategies to |
| reading strategy with many merits, but leaves me | | | | simplify the process. |
| asking, "Who wants to take the time to do all five | | | | " We can acknowledge that text-books are |
| steps?" Boring! Identifying the main idea and | | | | boring. But, if students understand how to |
| supporting details on endless worksheets? | | | | maximize their brain's learning process, they can |
| Another important skill, but still boring. | | | | be strategic readers and exponentially increase |
| There is a broader and more important role study | | | | their reading comprehension while only reading a |
| skills should be playing in the lives of our middle | | | | fraction of the text. |
| and high school students, especially in our current | | | | " When we want to say, "Why can't you plan |
| Information Age, when we must prepare | | | | ahead?!" we can pause and understand that they |
| students for many careers and jobs that do not | | | | have never really learned how to plan ahead. |
| even exist yet. Study skills are: | | | | Armed with that perspective, we can help them |
| " The skills required to be an independent learner. | | | | discover how to prioritize their time and think |
| " Skills that build confidence. | | | | proactively. |
| " Skills that develop efficiency. | | | | There is a commercial that depicts two |
| " Skills that improve performance to prepare our | | | | professionals heading into their office building at |
| students for high-stakes tests and the globally | | | | the beginning of the day. They are both neatly |
| competitive job market of the future. | | | | groomed and dressed professionally. You can |
| " Skills that enable students to be proactive, make | | | | presume from their appearance and surroundings |
| good decisions, and think critically. | | | | that they are well-educated people. They are both |
| The LAST thing they should be is boring! | | | | half-way up an escalator when the escalator |
| We were all born with a natural desire to learn. | | | | suddenly stops. |
| Infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers love to | | | | They look shocked and bewildered. "I don't need |
| explore their world and take pride in learning new | | | | this!" complains the woman. "Figures!" grumbles the |
| things. Just yesterday, my four-year-old was so | | | | man. They look around in panic and start feeling |
| excited about learning that he stood on top of his | | | | around for their cell phones, but both discover |
| chart and raised both arms in triumph exclaiming | | | | they have forgotten their phones. |
| in a 'na-na-na-na-na-na' tone, "I learned a new | | | | As the commercial continues, these two "smart |
| wo-rd! I learned a new wo-rd!" THAT was utter | | | | professionals" remain stranded for what appears |
| exhilaration over learning! | | | | to be hours, yelling and screaming for help and |
| But, sometime in the elementary years, most | | | | wallowing in their unfortunate sorrow that they |
| students lose that enthusiasm for learning, usually | | | | are stuck on an escalator. |
| because they lose all of their choices with learning. | | | | That's right...it's an escalator, NOT an elevator. |
| Learning becomes dictated by their teachers, | | | | Are you wondering why they don't just stand up |
| school districts, and state-mandated curriculum. | | | | and walk off? |
| They are suddenly swallowed into a bureaucracy | | | | That's the point of the commercial...some solutions |
| of texts, tests, and lectures that would bore any | | | | are so blatantly obvious to some, but not to all. |
| rational human being. | | | | Students, in particular, are commonly stuck on |
| Much of these mandates and "lack of choices" are | | | | their own escalators, running for help every time |
| and will remain out of students' control, but there | | | | they get stuck and not employing any strategies |
| is a vital component we can offer students to | | | | or critical thinking to move forward. |
| bring some pizzazz back to learning. Teach them | | | | Arming students with study skills --skills for |
| study skills...principles and strategies to be | | | | thinking strategically about organizing, managing |
| organized and learn efficiently. Show them they | | | | time, and learning-- gives them the power to |
| have the power to beat the system. Well, maybe | | | | simply stand up and walk off their own escalator. |
| not beat the system, but at least work with the | | | | Taking control over their learning? Learning how |
| system strategically to be successful. | | | | to 'play in the system' with strategy? There is |
| When strategic learning enters the picture, | | | | nothing boring about that! |
| students regain some control. They develop | | | | |