The Mentor Mindset and the Entrepreneurship Classroom
All of a sudden, I started seeing David Yeager’s name everywhere. Yeager, the author of 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People, has made a splash on the Christian school conference scene, with many equating his work to that of Carol Dweck—which makes sense, as they collaborate closely.
Just two days after my friend Tawanna Rusk led a breakout session on Yeager’s book at the CESA Symposium, I visited a school in Texas where the Director of College Advising and Academics, Jennifer Heard, gifted me a copy.
After reading it, I was immediately struck by Yeager’s central premise: much of teacher training has focused on developing either an enforcer or a protector mindset, when what students actually need is a mentor mindset.
The enforcer, according to Yeager, emphasizes high standards and strict accountability. The protector emphasizes high support and shielding students from struggle. The danger isn’t high standards or high support—it’s the absence of one alongside the other. Yeager argues that high expectations can be demanded in a healthy, motivating way when they are paired with high levels of support. This balance, he suggests, is the foundation of the mentor mindset.
As we launch entrepreneurship programs in schools, a critical part of the training for educators who lead these programs is helping them move from the role of traditional classroom teacher into that of a business mentor. This role leans heavily toward coaching—which is likely why so many successful Seed Tree teachers are former or current coaches.
A business coach doesn’t dictate every decision students make. Instead, they provide the support needed for students to make wise decisions while holding them accountable to the disciplines required for a business to run well. This mirrors exactly what Yeager describes: high expectations within a high-support environment.
And this posture, in turn, motivates young people.
At a time when motivating students can feel increasingly difficult, entrepreneurship often produces motivation as a natural byproduct of the work itself. When students are building something real—launching a student-run business, generating revenue, leading a team—engagement follows.
Just the other day, I received the following text from Jennifer Sullivan, who is leading the growing entrepreneurship program at NorthStar Academy, a fully online school:
“I had a student raise his hand and say, ‘Mrs. Sullivan, it’s so weird because these assignments don’t feel like schoolwork. They feel real. They feel like more.’”
When students are deeply engaged, it’s often because they’re operating in an environment marked by both high expectations and high support. When that happens, true entrepreneurial magic begins to take shape.