Education
Why Kids Behave Poorly
Recently, Growing Leaders teamed up with Harris Poll to discover some important insights about life in today’s culture. We surveyed 2,264 adults, ages 18 and older in June 2017. One particular insight deserves some interpretation. In the survey, young adults said they learn more from technology than from people. Nearly 3 in 5 U.S. adults…
Continue ReadingHow to Inspire Students to Do What’s Right
Every teacher, coach, employer and parent wants to influence their young people to do what they know is right. Far too often, however, we merely emulate what our parents did with us, as we grew up. We tell them they “ought to” do the right thing. The problem is, ideas like “ought to” and “should”…
Continue ReadingFour Changes That Will Win the Heart of Generation Z Students
Ours is a world where students are savvy and aware—and very difficult to “wow.” Many are well-informed, well-entertained and have already traveled to places we never traveled until we were well into our adult lives. They scroll through their phones looking for something that will capture their interest. Due to over-exposure to information some have…
Continue Reading12 Things That Are in Your Control and Require No Talent
These days, it’s easy for students to become consumed with gaining a competitive advantage over their peers in college or in their career. They belabor their GPA or their SAT score, their IQ and whether they took an AP course, all the while missing some fundamentals that can completely differentiate them from others. The good…
Continue ReadingThe Fastest Trick to Develop Student Leaders
Last March, a university dean faced a shortage of resident advisors for the following school year. He needed to recruit students to offer oversight to hall floors, each having about fifty-eight fellow students. It’s no small feat, but R.A.’s usually get a healthy stipend for doing it, and sometimes their entire tuition is covered for…
Continue ReadingWhy Daily Silence Makes Students Smarter
Hear ye, hear ye! All educators, coaches, parents—and certainly students—need to ponder and digest the latest research on the topic of silence. Silence can grow your brain. I am not kidding. A 2013 study monitored the effect of “sound” versus “silence” on mice. What researchers discovered was profound. When exposed to two hours of silence…
Continue ReadingWhy Straight A’s Hurt Today’s Students
The report is in for last year’s grade point averages of American students. After reviewing it—I’d say it’s good news and bad news. The good news is, more high school students are getting A’s on their report card. The bad news is, students may not really be learning something. Why would I say that? According…
Continue ReadingFive Shifts that Lead Kids from Apathy to Ambition
This month, I have spoken to thousands of teachers and parents, as schools kick off another year. One phrase I have heard as much as any other is: “I just wish we could get these students to be more ambitious.” Ironically, while so many faculty, staff, coaches and parents desire this outcome, we are often…
Continue ReadingFour Gifts Every Student Needs From You This Year
I remember the story of a seven-year-old boy who loved parades. One Saturday he heard about a local parade that would march on the street just behind his house. In excitement, he scampered out to see the band, the majorettes, the clowns and the floats—but there was just one huge problem. His backyard had a…
Continue ReadingFive Decisions Every Freshman Needs to Make
As a new school year launches, it dawned on me that first year students are about to enter an entirely new experience, and meet peers in a new environment for them. It’s decision time. During the first month of the fall semester, routines are established. It’s then that so many students default to making poor…
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