Case Closed

So... what does "I don't know" actually mean?

If you guessed that your teenager is simply being lazy...

You're certainly not alone.

It's what most of us assume.

But after teaching thousands of teenagers, I've found that "I don't know" often means something very different.

For many students—especially those who become overwhelmed by writing—it isn't a lack of effort.

It's a lack of ideas.

Before a teenager can write, their brain has to:

• think of possible ideas
• decide which one to choose
• organise those thoughts
• remember the task
• hold everything in working memory
• turn ideas into sentences

That's an enormous mental workload before they've even written their first word.

When their brain can't find a starting point...

"I don't know."

becomes the safest answer it has.

The problem isn't always writing.

The problem is that they're trying to write before they've had a chance to think.

That's why so many teenagers can happily talk about a topic for ten minutes...

...but freeze the moment they're asked to write about it.

Try this instead

The next time your teenager says, "I don't know," resist the urge to jump straight into solving the problem for them.

Instead, try asking one small question.

"What's one tiny idea you've already thought about?"

Even a single word.

A memory.

A funny example.

An opinion.

Once their brain has something to grab onto, writing becomes much less intimidating.