Can Do Better A Case for Defining Effort

In an age of digital media, virtual worlds, AIs and instant messaging, connections and networking in isolation is an ironic reality. Sometimes, it translates to in person connects, especially the school and college alumni groups. Some years back, in one such meet up a few of us schoolmates wandered into a discussion on report cards, PTMs, and its unchanging nature. “Can do better” was something we could recollect as a standard phrase in our report cards, and something I had seen in my children’s report cards as well two and a half decades later. We did come to an understanding that the teacher perhaps saw the potential in each of us, and wanted us to put in more effort to score well. 

We agreed as we parted that we did do better, by trial and error, by facing failures, picking up ourselves from rock bottom, learning, unlearning, and relearning. The question that lingered on was did we have to spend so much time figuring it all out. What could have been done by that teacher, what was that skill I needed to understand the effort to apply it?

A quick look at the dictionary says that effort can be defined by actions that are full of vigour and persistence. A steadiness and single-mindedness to pursue without giving up. Effort then, is the multidimensional methods we use in the process of learning to achieve mastery; not just the showcasing and celebration of mastery. The stress that builds up for the performance or outcome at the end, reduces the process of learning. What if the teacher was able to support, scaffold and nurture effort in the classroom? Would the classroom be a space for joy?

If you closely listen to ParentTeacher conversations it is mostly about the ‘cannot dos’—lack of motivation, need to put in the effort, not interested, be consistent, put in disciplined hard work. However important these words maybe, it needs a solid action plan to be useful for the child. Is the classroom a space that has inbuilt systems to foster clarity, consistency, do-able actions, work on distractions, set measurable and relevant goals, and practical time management? Since these are things that make effort visible, enjoyable, and fruitful.

Effort is a learnt skill that sits firmly in the social and emotional learning Programme (SELP) realm. It strides three crucial aspects of SEL, which are self-awareness, self-management, and responsible decision-making. It is learnt every day, with scaffolds, praise, and joy. Here are a few practical tips you can, as a parent, teacher, mentor or student, build in to make effort worth the while. Do remember that effort needs to be joyful, do-able, rewarded and practiced little by little every day for it to be a routine and a mindset.

Technology will grow by leaps and bounds, however, the work of an educator, mentor, parent is a given when it comes to emotional and social grounding—it is unique, it is human, and shapes what the future holds. Surely, we can do better if we make that effort to know our next Gen for who they are and what they can possibly be.