My problem in school was boredom due to lack of motivation and clear purpose to the subject matter being taught. It was not until I was older and began to realize new project or life goals when I really started to go back and learn the material necessary to accomplish these goals. My mind sees the end goal and then calculates the various paths to reach it.
I am not sure exactly how this concept could be applied to schooling, but I do know that if my teachers had made an effort to explain the practical applications of the knowledge I would have worked a lot harder in math and science classes (especially chemistry).