In the race to graduate students from high school, most Teachers and Administrators know that the biggest hurdle they face is getting students ‘engaged’ in learning, and to achieve this, students’ mindsets must be addressed. Research has found that if a student’s attitude is negative or fearful towards test taking, (s)he is less likely to retain any knowledge from preparation. The only way to facilitate students’ learning and retaining of knowledge is to address two areas, unique knowledge needs and mindset support.

Mindset: Many students believe that they are naturally poor test takers and cannot become any smarter. Changing this belief makes students more perceptive to what they are learning, rather than focusing on their shortfalls. Research shows that this shift in mindset increases test scores, improves overall academic performance, and lowers the chances that the student will drop out of school. Unfortunately, convincing a student to change his or her beliefs about their learning potential is very difficult and can only be accomplished with consistent effort over a long period of time. The article Smart Talking: Tell Students to Feed their Brain, provides ways to achieve this shift in mindset with any student group. Below are a few strategies that can be implemented in order to encourage this shift.