ABSTRACT
All students could be doing something better, but precisely what change to prioritise is not immediately clear (and teachers cannot try to change everything). If there are many things to change, teachers must pick the fundamental challenge: the most significant, serious barrier to learning. If teachers want students to make a lasting change, it’s best to create a habit, because habits are automatic responses to a situation, meaning students will keep doing them, whenever necessary. Since it takes time and effort to form a habit, the habits teachers pursue must be powerful: simple and meaningful. If teachers want rapid change, however, they may break big tasks into smaller, bitesize goals, which clarify what students must do next and make change seem manageable.
