Fall is fast approaching, and your teen is about to enter high
school.  What now?  Academically, your child’s education is
about to make a huge shift, and not just in the overall
difficulty of the work. The biggest shift is the transition from
“process-based” learning to “product-based” learning; from an
environment in which kids are rewarded for their hard work and
into an environment in which hard work is merely a necessary
step on the way to an outcome.  This shift is a natural part of
learning. Children in elementary and middle school are rewarded
for the effort they put into projects and assignments. This is
key, as it instills a strong work ethic in students. So, when
you or your child’s teacher says, “Wow, Mikey, you’re really
working hard on that painting. I’m really proud of you,” you’re
teaching your child the importance of hard work.  Educators of
younger children do this because it works—praising the effort a
kid puts in tends to produce more and more effort from the
child. This is not to say that