Six Ways to Help Students Connect School to Their Future

Because many (if not most or all) educators also consider themselves to be lifelong lovers of learning, it’s only natural that we want to believe that students inherently understand why school is important and that what they learn in school holds value. Yet, the evidence suggests something different. Too many students see school as something they must get through to get on with life rather than an experience that will take them where they want to go.  

Every time a student asks, “Why do we have to learn this?” “When will I ever use this?” and “Is this going to count?” we are likely being presented with evidence that students do not see their school experience as valuable, purposeful, or alignment with their goals. As a result, their motivation too often remains largely untapped, their engagement is generally limited to what is demanded, and their commitment becomes driven by external rewards and meaningless symbols. 

On the other hand, when students connect their school experience to their interests and see it as purposeful and aligned with their goals, their motivation and engagement grow. Their commitment and persistence become stronger, and learning becomes a higher priority.  

The challenge we face is to employ strategies and approaches that help students to make the crucial connection between what they are asked to learn and what is important, interesting, useful, or worthwhile to them. The task is not easy, nor will the same strategies and approaches work in the same way or for every student. We need a variety of options and alternatives to make the connection in response to students' needs. Here are six strategies we can tap, test, and refine to take on the challenge. 

Learn and tap into student aspirations.  

If we hope to have students see alignment between their goals and in-school learning, we need to start where our students are. We need to understand their hopes, aspirations, interests, and desired identity. For example, they may like making things, helping others, leading teams, solving problems, or earning money. Of course, these elements may change over time, but taking time to ask students about what they hope for in life, the work they enjoy, the skills they are interested in, and who they hope to become can provide a rich context and anchors for learning.    

Frequently return to “Why does this matter?”  

When students do not understand the value and purpose of what they are learning, they typically default to what “will count” as a grade. Students need us to choose learning that matters and help them to see why. Frequently reminding students of the importance and real-world application of what they are learning can build stronger bridges between student goals and their school experience.  

Help students see possibilities for skill transfer.  

The more students understand how what they are learning in one class might be helpful in another or in life beyond school, the more likely they are to invest the time and effort to learn it. Broadening our explanation and discussion of what students are learning to include skills such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, persistence, and other crucial life skills opens doors to examples of how these skills can be applied in contexts beyond the current lesson or unit of study. Supplementing the discussion with examples of how these skills are used in a variety of settings and professions can further help students to make meaningful connections.  

Reinforce links between today’s choices and future opportunities.  

Students often struggle to link the decisions they make today to how those decisions will affect their future options and opportunities. One way to assist students in grasping this concept is to help them create an “if-then” chain. For example, if they do quality work today, success in their courses becomes more likely. If they succeed in their courses, then graduation is a higher probability and post-graduation options grow. If they create more post-graduation options, then they open more career opportunities. And if they have access to more career opportunities, then success with personal goals becomes more likely. Another approach is to emphasize to students the importance of consistently doing just one more thing than required. Over time, the difference between what would have been and what is possible grows in the same way that investing money creates even more money in the future.  

Connect learning to experiences of successful adults.  

Adults in the community, famous people, and even historical figures can serve as examples and reinforcers of the importance and value of what students are learning and the achievement of their goals. Consider inviting successful adults from the community to share their stories and examples of how what students are learning is important to their success in life. Similarly, we might share examples of how people whom students see as successful depend on the skills students are learning, which can reinforce connections to their goals. Further, selecting and highlighting historical figures who demonstrated habits and skills students are learning, and how they made them successful, can reinforce the alignment between students’ goals and in-school learning.  

Link learning to future identity.  

Helping students think about how they want to be seen and what they want to accomplish in the future can create opportunities for important discussions. We can remind students that success can be defined in multiple ways and that it can take many paths. What is most important is that they avoid closing doors they may want to reopen later and that they create and protect as many options in life as possible. 

We want students to see school as a place where they can build the knowledge, skills, habits, and character to pursue their goals and find success in life, not a collection of disjointed, disconnected, and distracting experiences. When they do, they become less dependent on external rewards and meaningless symbols and more focused on experiences that make them better people and prepare them for a better future.