“A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning. “-Brad Henry
If you are a teacher, you must have heard your students saying “I hope I get an ‘A’ on this test!” Although it appears too simple and wishy-washy emotion, it is actually complicated to cultivate hope in student’s heart. Igniting hope comes with its significant rewards for those who make an effort. The rewards can be a greater academic success, stronger friendships, creativity, and better problem-solving skills.
But what about those who lose hope whether due to failure in exams or other circumstances? Then it becomes the duty of the teacher to help them develop hope to set clear and attainable goals. If you too want to help your students build the skills of hope, here are some guidelines that will help you out.
Spot and prioritize their goals
Start by helping students in creating a “big picture” of their academics, friends, family, sports, or career. Help them to reflect on which areas are most important to them. The goals should be their own not based on what their parents or school want otherwise they may feel pressurized especially when they come up against obstacles.
Next, teach students how to set goals and take a positive, solutions-oriented approach. Once they list out all their goals, make them prioritize in the way they want it to be.
Create steps to achieve the long-term goals
Students assume that goals have to be accomplished all-at-once and when they see the failure, they get easily depressed. So, it is essential to guide them how to achieve goals in steps. Learning to see their goals as a series of steps will keep them motivated along the way.
Inspire the students with stories of success
Sharing successful stories with students can ignite hope and self-esteem in the students. They will draw on memories of other successes during the low time of their life which will keep their hope alive. Reading books or showing videos of successful personalities who have overcome adversity to reach their goals is actually helpful.
Teach the ways to achieve goals
The inability to move past obstacles usually results in loss of hope. Students who lack key problem-solving skills abandon the quest for their goals. So if they will be able to see different paths to their goals, they will get beyond undefeatable hurdle. As a teacher, you have to make sure that students don’t deal those barriers with a lack of talent. They should be prepared from the beginning that everyone faces obstacles and they can overcome these obstacles through creative ways instead of avoiding them altogether.
Create a positive ambiance
Lastly, it’s crucial to enhance a positive thinking to help them reach the goal. Above all, let the “no self-pity!” be the hymn of their life. Even if they face failure, they must boost their hope with positive self-talk instead of feeling down. A good student care center can provide a learning environment that gives wings to the student’s creativity and hope.
Final words
Cultivating hope in students will help them get more A’s in the short-run while giving them the confidence to reach their long-term goals in life.
