More Than Grades

Schools today place an increasingly strong emphasis on standardized learning (and testing!) at the expense of arts and other unstructured and creative pursuits that help young people define who they are and thrive emotionally: “Arts and sports activities dwindle away from the curriculum, and teachers find themselves less often in the informal, supportive roles of mentor, facilitator, and guide.”

Pushing young people too hard to achieve academically can backfire and lead to elevated risks of anxiety, depression, and substance use. Youth well-being is critical for development and academic success, yet it is often ignored by ambitious parents who focus exclusively on school performance. Shifting the focus to a proper balance of academics and well-being can help young people find their own motivation and lifelong interests.

The British Psychological Society reviews yet another research study on the impact of screen time on youth well-being. The study is not conclusive, but it does offer some compelling insights into this ongoing and important conversation.

If you care about learning, atypical learners, and question the systems we have developed to produce “educated” citizens, take the time to read this article: “Unfortunately, most schools struggle to integrate atypical learners, even though it’s increasingly clear that interest-driven learning, project-based learning, and undirected learning seem better suited for the greater diversity of neural types we now know exist.”

How do we prepare young people for the future world we cannot predict? According to Yuval Noah Harari, the key strengths will include “the ability to deal with change, learn new things, and preserve your mental balance in unfamiliar situations. To keep up with the world of 2050, you will need to do more than merely invent new ideas and products, but above all, reinvent yourself again and again.”

According to an extensive and growing body of research by the Search Institute, the concept of challenging growth is one of the five elements of a developmental relationship. This brief article and video offer tips on how to best engage youth in activities and interactions that challenge them to grow and help develop strengths and resilience to thrive as adults.