Understanding Your Student’s Motivations
Before a student can begin thinking about goals, students should begin exploring what their motivations are. Understanding what drives them creates a solid foundation for goal-setting. When students align their goals with their passions and values, they are more likely to stay on track and be more resilient in the face of setbacks. Ultimately, self-motivated students not only excel academically but also develop valuable life skills that extend far beyond the classroom.
The goal during these discussions is:
for students to explore their interests and values
express any challenges and/or successes in school
identify what motivates them to do well
Keep in mind this is NOT meant to be a one-time process! These conversations will happen over multiple sessions and/or change as your student grows.
Exploring core values with your buddy
What do you love doing?
Who do you care about the most in your life?
What is your most successful subject in school? Why?
What is your most challenging subject in school? Why?
How important do you think school is?
How do you feel about your last report card, teacher feedback, etc?
What concerns do you have about school and/or your grades?
How much time do you spend on homework on a school day?
Ask for more insight if needed
“You mentioned that you think school is important/unimportant, why do you think that is?”
“You said that x happened in the classroom, can you tell me a little more about this?”
“When do you feel the best when it comes to school?”
Identify and discuss any preferences that your student shares.
Usually, students are motivated by the people or things they like, so discuss any preferences that your student mentions.
“When do you feel the best when it comes to school?”
“It sounds like______ made you happy! Why do you think that is?”
Then, discuss any challenges your student may have brought up
“What do you do when you experience a challenge? What makes you feel better during those times, if anything?”
Summarize what the student told you
“Now, I’m going to try and summarize everything we just talked about, so we can start thinking about your goals next time. Let me know if I missed anything.”
Highlight any themes you heard from the student and gently point out any misalignment between the student’s goals and actions.
Have them vocalize what motivates them
Now, let’s come back and answer our question: What motivates you?
Have them write this down somewhere, so they can come always back to it.
