Daniel T.Willingham

This class format meant your teachers expected that you knew how to (1) set priorities and plan your schedule; (2) read difficult content independently; (3) avoid procrastination; (4) memorize content; (5) avoid distractions; (6) judge when you had studied enough; (7) show what you knew on a test; and (8) deal with emotions like anxiety that interfere with learning. And if you didn’t do those things well, it was your problem, not the teacher’s. In short, you were expected to be an independent learner.

Independent learning calls for many separate skills, and you needed someone to teach them to you.

I was a learning researcher, but not the type who helps you learn.

I thought teachers could benefit from knowing what scientists have figured out about how people think and learn, so I started writing articles and books that explained it.

When students came to my office for help, I started asking more questions about their study habits and strategies. I asked them to bring their textbooks and notebooks to our meetings so we could talk about how they read and took notes.

When you’re trying to learn, your brain tells you to do the mental equivalent of push-ups on your knees. Your brain encourages you to do things that feel easy and feel like they are leading to success. That was why my students, left to their own devices, drifted toward the same ineffective study strategies. Outsmarting your brain means doing the mental exercise that feels harder but is going to bring the most benefit in the long run.