Take a look at some of the recent statistics about education around the world and it’s likely that you’ll notice one alarming trend. Today, America is far from the top in terms of education. In fact, the most recent data rates US students at 14th place in cognitive skills and educational attainment while Asian nations continue to hold all of the top spots.

The reasons for this vary, and are still greatly debated. While pointing fingers at educational policies is common, I have found that it’s important to understand that one part of the problem isn’t related to anything other than the fact that today’s American youth are often far more disengaged than they should be.

Reasons for disengagement vary, but include things like a lack of motivation, loss of drive, and much more. When a student can’t find the motivation or drive to engage with their lessons, it can lead to some very serious issues with their educational success. As such, it’s important to spend some time learning more about the different ways you can give a student the motivation they need to thrive in school.

Each student is different, and there is certainly no ‘˜magic bullet’ that will instantly solve all problems. But the following tips can have a big impact on the engagement levels of a student.

Praise Matters:

Negative reinforcement has been proven to be far less effective than positive encouragement and praise. Often, just letting a student know how impressed you are with their success can mean the difference between them staying motivated or not.

Goals Can Help:

Talking to a student can help you determine what their goals are and help you show them how important it is to complete their education. When you highlight the different reasons that they need to finish school, point out the reasons they should and provide examples that are relevant to the student, it can help them focus on their education.

Rewards Are Important Too:

This aspect of helping them find motivation combines both of the points above. By setting up a reward system, you can encourage kids to complete their educational requirements. It’s a simple enough step, but one that can make a big impact on them.

While politicians will continue to debate different educational policies for decades, there are plenty of steps that you can take with your children and students to help them succeed no matter what. Laws and regulations will matter, but it all starts with keeping a kid motivated and engaged with their studies. Do that, and the rest of their future will fall into place.

Ian Humphrey is a youth motivational speaker that specializes in helping today's youth not only realize their potential, but create a plan to live up to it.

To get help giving students the drive to succeed, contact us today to learn more about our presentations, coaching and mentoring opportunities, and more.