While reading Adam Grant’s new book, Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things, I was struck by his distinction between teaching and coaching. He writes, “Teaching others can build our competence. But it’s coaching others that elevates our confidence.” He describes the “coaching effect” as our confidence in our ability to overcome challenges and struggles after we have helped guide another person through them (pg. 137).
Giving Advice Boosts Academic Performance
Grant cites the research of Lauren Eskreis-Winkler, who conducted studies of high school students and found they earned higher grades across subjects after giving “motivational advice to younger students–rather than receiving motivational advice from expert teachers” (p. 138). The students in the study assumed the role of a peer coach. I was intrigued by this idea because coaching others is an active rather than passive process. Instead of asking for advice, which positions the student to receive words of wisdom from others, giving advice requires that students reflect on their experience, identify strategies and resources that have been helpful, and articulate a path forward in the face of challenge.
To understand the particulars of this research in more detail, I read the study conducted by Lauren Eskreis-Winkler, Katherine L. Milkman, Dena M. Gromet, and Angela L. Duckworth. Their experiment included almost 2,000 high school students. In an interview about her study, Lauren Eskreis-Winkler said, “We told advice givers we think they have valuable knowledge and information about how to motivate themselves in school, and we asked them to share that knowledge with younger students.” The students randomly selected to give advice were then prompted to answer various questions about school, study habits, and motivation. Once they answered the collection of online questions, they were asked to write a short letter of advice to a younger student that incorporated their personal experiences.
This 8-minute intervention significantly boosted the academic achievement of the advice-givers. This supports earlier research that suggests giving advice is powerful for a variety of reasons. First, individuals who promote particular viewpoints or convictions tend to adopt the positions they endorse. Second, the reflective and metacognitive processes involved in offering advice can stimulate the advice-giver to identify and clarify strategies they can implement in their lives. Third, providing guidance to others, in contrast to receiving it, has the potential to boost self-confidence.
Ask Your Students to Write a Motivational Letter
As we approach the end of the calendar year, I encourage teachers to give students class time to write a motivational letter to a future student with specific advice about tackling difficult tasks, staying motivated, or coping with moments of academic struggle.
I have modified the prompts in Lauren Eskreis-Winkler, Katherine L. Milkman, Dena M. Gromet, and Angela L. Duckworth’s research study so teachers can use them to inspire students to write letters.
- When you find yourself procrastinating or putting off work you know you should be doing, it is helpful to…
- When you encounter a challenge and feel stuck or unsure how to make progress, I suggest…
- When you receive a low grade and feel upset or disappointed, it is easy to get discouraged. I’ve found…helps to keep me feeling positive and motivated.
- When it comes to taking study breaks, I would advise you to…
- After a long day at school, I know motivating yourself to sit down and do your homework can be hard. I would encourage you to…
- Homework is a part of our lives as students, and the best way to make homework more enjoyable is to…
- I find that studying in [location] is best for helping me to focus and concentrate.
- If you are feeling bored or having a hard time focusing in a class, I would suggest you try to…
- I have found that the best approach to studying for a test or quiz is…
- After a solid study session, I like to reward myself by…
Motivational Letter Templates
To save teachers time and provide scaffolds to support students in the letter-writing process, I’ve created a collection of templates students can copy and modify to write their letters to a future student.
Teachers can ask students to respond to a particular prompt, or better yet, give them the agency to choose the prompt they want to respond to because it is relevant or interesting. Once they click the link for the prompt they want to respond to, like fighting procrastination, they’ll access a template like the one pictured below that will help them get started.
Teachers can modify these letter templates to provide more or less scaffolding based on their students’ specific needs. However, it is important to note that not all students will have experience writing letters, so providing sentence starters can be helpful in removing barriers.
Composing motivational letters addressed to younger or future students not only fosters empathy and a sense of responsibility but also promotes reflection and self-awareness in the writers. By sharing personal experiences, specific strategies, and words of encouragement, students not only offer valuable insights but the act of giving advice reinforces their understanding of effective learning techniques, instilling a deeper sense of confidence. This practice, rooted in mentorship and peer support, not only enhances academic performance but also cultivates essential life skills.
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