Publish at January 13 2020 Updated March 30 2022
We may believe that perseverance is an innate personality trait. According to this view, some people would be more inclined to persevere than others. This could not be further from the truth.
In fact, it would be more like an attribute that develops like a muscle. In the daily lives of children, this skill can be improved. Because while the portraits of dropouts differ, the fact remains that a perseverance deficiency often lies behind it. Parents are just as important in the process as the training institution.
In fact, small daily gestures are paramount in building tenacity. Already, a parent who is interested and involved in school life will send the message that school is important to the child. Approaching the issue of school with positivity, helps the student focus on the positive aspects of the day, what was learned, etc. In fact, it's best to avoid overly negative connotations such as saying that homework is a mandatory chore before doing a fun activity. This can lead the learner to produce sloppy work and dislike educational tasks.
Encouragement is paramount in school persistence. Indeed, parents are often unaware of the beneficial effects of acknowledging children's efforts in their journey. However, it is not the results that need to be taken into account the most but the work done by the student. In addition, comparisons with other students, a sibling or the group average should be avoided. Every school journey has its share of successes and failures and the latter are as important as the former in learning. This message that more and more teachers are conveying can also be carried over to the home.
Not all educational paths are alike. A video made to encourage student retention in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec discusses the portraits of different professionals who haven't always had it easy. On the contrary, doubts, discouragement and even dropping out have been part of the lives of these young people. Nevertheless, they managed to hang on to school, some even going on to higher education when they didn't feel the urge as teenagers. The viral work thus reminds us that low points in a life's journey are more common than we might think without becoming fatalities. Everyone eventually found their passion and went for it.
Hence the importance of those around them constantly encouraging young learners, even in the darker times. In a list of tips for parents, the latter suggests that they show the joy of gaining knowledge beyond the classroom. So by taking them to museums, concerts, shows, the library, wildlife parks, planetariums, natural environments and many other places, they can realize that learning doesn't require a desk and a chalkboard. It just requires developing a curiosity about a subject.
The popular African adage says that it takes a village to raise a child. This could not be better reflected in the issue of school retention. All of the adults in a student's environment will have a major effect on his or her desire to learn. Whether it's his teachers, his parents, his grandparents, his aunts and uncles, those passionate guides in tourist places, those Youtubers with an educational approach, etc. For all these people who take the time to spark little flames in children, a thank you is in order.
Illustration: Christine Schmidt from Pixabay
References
Cournoyer, Amélie. "Fostering School Persistence." Alloprof Parents. Last updated on February 6, 2019.
https://www.alloprofparents.ca/articles/le-developpement-de-lenfant/perseverance-ca-sapprend/.
Descheneaux, Nadine. "4 Ways To Encourage School Persistence." Radio-Canada. Last updated: February 6, 2019.
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/jeunesse/parents/accueil-parents/document/nouvelles/article/1151440/motiver-efforts-accompagner-stimuler-apprentissage.
"L'ABC De La Persévérance Scolaire." Comité Régional Pour La Valorisation De L'éducation. Last updated January 9, 2019.
https://www.crevale.org/labc-de-la-perseverance-scolaire/.
Laflamme, Maxime. "School Perseverance Or Those Gestures That Change Everything." The Connected School. Last updated February 13, 2019.
https://ecolebranchee.com/ces-gestes-qui-font-la-difference/.
"When School Perseverance Goes Viral." The Val D'Or Citizen - Amos. Last updated: February 27, 2019.
https://www.lecitoyenvaldoramos.com/article/2019/02/27/quand-la-perseverance-scolaire-devient-virale.
Tremblay, Amélie, and Sophie Menard-Charest. "How to Help Your Teen Persevere at School?" Mon Ado Au Secondaire. Last updated: September 30, 2019. https://monadoausecondaire.com/comment-aider-son-ado-a-perseverer-a-lecole/.
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