Being an effective teacher is really hard work. When we really dig deep to help students discover how to learn, the work is long but the results are sensational. There is new research that tells us that studying smarter rather than longer or harder is much more effective. Students who excel at both classroom and standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT aren’t necessarily those who study longest. Instead, they study smart—planning ahead, quizzing themselves on the material and actively seeking out help when they don’t understand it. Researchers call them activist learner (which sounds a lot like active learners right?). That activist approach reflects what researchers call self-regulated learning: the capacity to track how well you’re doing in your classes and hold yourself accountable for reaching goals. So if you aren't doing it already, add another tool to your teaching toolkit and share this information with your students. If you want to read more, here is the entire article.