It is often said that hope is not a strategy. While the statement may be correct, it risks ignoring the important relationship between hope and strategy. Strategy developed without hope is not likely to be implemented and sustained. Conversely, hope can be the impetus to develop, implement, and persist with a strategy.
When we consider this relationship in the context of learning, we can see how students who lack hope of success are not likely to invest deeply in learning paths or overcoming learning challenges. Students who lack hope often choose distraction and undermining behaviors to avoid the pain of being exposed to failure. The absence of hope can masquerade as lack of caring, laziness, and even resistance. It also can lead to other avoidance behaviors such as withdrawal and frequent absences.
Meanwhile, hope can be the stimuli students need to try something new, take learning risks, and persist when learning is a struggle. Hope can help students to see possibilities, overcome mistakes and setbacks, and navigate learning barriers. Hope is empowering and builds confidence.
Unfortunately, too many students come to school each day lacking the level of hope that can sustain them through difficult and challenging experiences. They too often choose to give up rather than keep trying, and, in some cases, they may choose not even to try.
So, how can we inspire, nurture, and reinforce hope for learning in our students? Of course, we can’t give students hope directly, but we can create conditions under which hope is likely to emerge and grow. Consider these tips and techniques as places to start and on which to build:
- Look for opportunities to help students connect their efforts to outcomes. When students can see that their actions matter and they can influence outcomes, hope becomes easier to grasp.
- Recognize and reinforce effort, even when success is not immediate. Admittedly, effort alone is not success, but our recognition and reinforcement can be the impetus for students to renew their effort and ultimately succeed.
- Find and celebrate small wins. Helping students to see that they are capable of success, even in small doses, can build confidence and support risk taking.
- Help students to see what the next steps are in learning. Clear, modest next steps can make the path forward easier to see and less overwhelming to contemplate.
- When students struggle, use “not yet” language rather than “wrong” or “failure.” Recognizing that learning is a journey and takes time, but success remains obtainable, can help students to keep trying.
- Offer choices in how students might approach a task. Giving options can foster ownership and encourage students to stick with what they have chosen.
- Connect learning to student interest or priority. Establishing a link between something the student values and a learning task can make it easier for them to try and seek progress. However, we need to be careful not to have students feel manipulated or patronized.
- Use optimistic language when discussing tasks and challenges. Students tune in to how we view their potential even when we are not explicit. Choosing words like “when,” not “if” can make a difference.
- Foster a climate of caring, support, and inclusion. When students support each other, reluctant students often are more open and willing to try than when they feel isolated and alone.
- Share times and circumstances when we have struggled and kept going until we found success. When we have a strong relationship with students, our experiences can carry extra significance and give students confidence that they, too, can succeed.
Hope can be a powerful driver of learning. When hope is present, effort and struggle can feel worthwhile. When students have hope, they are more likely to accept our coaching and heed our advice. Our challenge is to create conditions under which hope can flourish and success is worth pursuing.
