Find purpose
A LOT of students today go to school because their parents told them so. Parents understand the importance of education because of where they are now. Aside from the encouragement and support from their parents, it is ideal that students find purpose in going to school for them to appreciate it.
As observed, many students go through high school bored and unengaged. These are students who stare directly at the teacher during discussion asking what the teacher was talking about and when will he/he ever stop talking. While some others check their watch or the wall clock time after time wishing that the clock hands run faster so they could storm out of the classroom. Others would just sleep, day dream, talk to somebody, and do other disruptive acts. Boredom is a product of several factors such as the lack of interest on the subject and worst lack of interest in school. Again because they do not see why they should go to school to have a good life.
One study found that the most common feelings among high school students are fatigue and boredom. Students need to realize why they go to school and that’s when they see the meaning of it. They will seldom feel bored in school activities when they know that these activities contribute to their development as a person.
An educational author recommended a couple of ways to help students find purpose in schooling.
First, prioritize internal motivation over external achievement. According to the article, students who show a sense of purpose have a deeply developed intrinsic motivation to achieve a goal or take part in an activity. This means they are not motivated to achieve something simply because they can, because it is hard, or because they get rewarded or recognized for it. Rather, they do it because they have a deep internal interest in pursuing it—and derive pleasure from the process.It is true that students need to be able to develop their skills and strengths in high school. But they also need to be able to find out what they love to do and what the world actually needs—and, quite often, students won’t receive external rewards when exploring these questions.
Second, Foster collaboration. By working in teams, young people can start to develop the skills and mindsets that are essential both to thriving in today’s workforce and to leading a life that feels meaningful.
Third, see teachers as mentors and coaches. Coaches or mentors help students find purpose because these people bring a certain culture of excellence to them. We need to create structures and cultures that allow students to develop these kinds of meaningful, mentoring relationships with teachers. Also, take students out into the world. According to Bronk, students often start to develop a sense of purpose during “purpose seeking” opportunities—opportunities to push their comfort zones and explore. These opportunities have at least one of three active ingredients: an important life event, serving others in a meaningful way, or changes in life circumstances.
There are other ways to help students see the significance of schooling to fight boredom and promote more academic engagement such as learning from failure, value student's inner lives, and explaining them the vital reasons of schooling.
Teachers understandably call the attention of students who are unengaging primarily to stop them or to stop the distraction. It is good to assume that these students do not just find meaning why they are in the classroom. So these tasks of understanding and extending help to students is again given to teachers. Teachers must find the energy and time to help the students find purpose to go to school because once it is realized, attendance and participation in school surely improve.