How do we motivate kids to be high achievers? The answer may be different than you think.

In this conversation MTJAS podcast host Karen speaks with the director of a learning center for adolescents, George Popham of Bay State Learning Center (the center which Karen's sons attend.)

George digs into the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, how achievement will come – but only after a teen feels engaged – and what that really looks like in a school setting. Hope you enjoy today's conversation!

Key Links in this episode For great research on intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, click the link below for researcher Carol Dweck: https://mindsetonline.com/abouttheauthor/

Click here for Daniel Pink's TED talk, which George cites in our conversation as a great resource for understanding motivation. https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation

Today we hear from Max, a teenager who plays kickass guitar, is totally into physics and science, and is a great cook to boot. (I know this because he is also my son.)

Max left school in second grade, because the academic pressure caused PTSD-like symptoms in him.

Now as a high-school-age kid, he describes his favorite quality about the education he's receiving at Baystate Learning Center, the one quality he believes a teen needs to thrive in school.

Listen in to discover what that quality is, why it's so important, and how to get it for your teens (who likely wish they saw it more often in their own lives).

Ever wondered what qualities a high school teacher needs most to connect with kids and inspire great learning? In this episode of the More Than Just a School podcast, we dive into that, speaking with teacher Ajay Puvvala. Ajay is a beloved teacher at Baystate Learning Center, and as you'll hear what he loves most about his job can also be the most daunting thing about teaching.

Whether you have a kid in public school, private school, or homeschool, this episode will share ways for you to know when your child has a good teacher, and the three most important qualities in a high school teacher.

In this very first episode of More Than Just a School I get to speak with 14-year-old Sam, a teen whose anxiety used to be extremely bad. So bad that Sam was hospitalized when he was 12. During our conversation Sam shares: – school as a major cause of his anxiety – what his family did to help him – a hugely significant change that made the difference: now, not only is Sam not spending time in a hospital setting, but he is off all anxiety medications.

Listen as 14-year-old Sam tells his story!