STUDENTS THAT FAIL: Factors that undermine academic success “I am a loser.” “Study is not for me.” “My brain doesn’t work well.” “School makes me icky.” With statements like these many students convince themselves of their deficiencies. Why aren’t we teaching basic study skills and how to approach subjects with curiosity and thrill? Should teachers simply present factoids to digest? Or should we examine attitudes and behaviors to see how each learner can do to their best? Satoru: . . .study skills might be taught to young learners, but by the time students reach university, their behaviors are mostly fossilized. Liao: How do you know that? Satoru: (stammering) Well, it is simply my experience. Liao: It's all too tempting to focus on what students supposedly can't do. Perhaps we need to take a closer look at what they actually can do. The window of opportunity might be wider than first imagine. ===================================================================================== from _Crassroom Voices - Poetry, Art, & Dialogs about Education_ by T Newfields SUMMARY: An artwork, a poem, and a conversation about self-defeating attitudes among learners and the necessity of acquiring positive learning attitudes and behaviors. KEYWORDS: self-defeatism, failure by design, failing students, self-defeating attitudes, education Author: T Newfields [Nitta Hirou / Huáng Yuèwǔ] (b. 1955) Begun: 2017 in Yokohama, Japan / Finished: 2019 in Yokohama, Japan Creative Commons License: Attribution. {{CC-BY-4.0}} Granted < LAST http://www.tnewfields.info/CrassroomVoices/raised.htm TOC http://www.tnewfields.info/CrassroomVoices/index.html NEXT > http://www.tnewfields.info/CrassroomVoices/succeed.htm TRANSLATIONS ESPAÑOL: http://www.tnewfields.info/es/fracasan.htm FRANÇAIS: http://www.tnewfields.info/fr/qui.htm NIHONGO: http://www.tnewfields.info/jp/shippai.htm ZHŌNGWÉN: http://www.tnewfields.info/zh/shibai.htm