From the Principal’s Desk
Dear Parents,
Often when we watch professional athletes, we are amazed at how much skill they have and how easy they make their game look. When we listen to a professional orchestra play a symphony, we are taken back at their skill, sound, and blend. If you watch anyone do something really well, you are watching a craftsman at his trade. It is a thing of beauty. But the craftsman did not start out that way. In fact, learning to do something well involves a lot of instruction, and it involves a lot of failure. But if the person listens, shows great desire, and works at it, he can become skilled at what he is setting out to do.
The same thing is true with students. We all would want our children to do well in their school work. But children are not born as “good students”; they have to work at becoming good students. And work it is. It is work on the student’s part, the teacher’s part, and the parent’s part. When all three agents work diligently at this task, a child can become a good student.
As I say, children are not born as good students; they develop into good students. Here are some markers that identify good students. First, they pay attention in class. When the teacher explains material in class, the student must attend with interest the lesson that is being presented. If the student does not pay attention, he cannot assimilate the full scope of the information, and thus will not fully understand the material. Lack of paying attention affects learning, which affects homework speed and accuracy, which in turn affects test scores.
Second, they make good use of their time. Good students work diligently at accomplishing their assignments. They persist. They care about what they are doing, which motivates them to focus on the task at hand. They do their best, and they get their work done on time and turned in on time, everyday. Essentially, they take responsibility for their assignments.
Third, they study independently. Essentially, they take responsibility for their learning. They take good notes, learning to decipher between what is important and what is additional. They think through concepts and processes to make them their own. They ask questions for clarification. They make connections to previously learned material as well as to information across various subjects. They study for their tests and quizzes and keep track of their duties. They don’t just go through the motions of school; they actually try to learn.
All of these traits make this student look like a model student. How long does it take to develop this kind of student? Many years. But if you lead your children in the right ways, setting a high standard and helping them reach that standard, and if they work diligently at their studies, doing their best and wanting to excel, they can become a good student. By the way, being a good student is not the same thing as being super smart. Plenty of very bright young people have fallen short of reaching their potential because they would not bring their minds and bodies under control to become a good student.
Let me encourage you: continue at the task. Stress the necessity of paying attention (even at when you talk to them and give them instruction); establish patterns of time management; and help them learn to do their best, to care about learning, and to persevere through difficulties. Over the course of time, our children can become good students.
Sincerely,
Pastor Sutton
Dear Parents,
Often when we watch professional athletes, we are amazed at how much skill they have and how easy they make their game look. When we listen to a professional orchestra play a symphony, we are taken back at their skill, sound, and blend. If you watch anyone do something really well, you are watching a craftsman at his trade. It is a thing of beauty. But the craftsman did not start out that way. In fact, learning to do something well involves a lot of instruction, and it involves a lot of failure. But if the person listens, shows great desire, and works at it, he can become skilled at what he is setting out to do.
The same thing is true with students. We all would want our children to do well in their school work. But children are not born as “good students”; they have to work at becoming good students. And work it is. It is work on the student’s part, the teacher’s part, and the parent’s part. When all three agents work diligently at this task, a child can become a good student.
As I say, children are not born as good students; they develop into good students. Here are some markers that identify good students. First, they pay attention in class. When the teacher explains material in class, the student must attend with interest the lesson that is being presented. If the student does not pay attention, he cannot assimilate the full scope of the information, and thus will not fully understand the material. Lack of paying attention affects learning, which affects homework speed and accuracy, which in turn affects test scores.
Second, they make good use of their time. Good students work diligently at accomplishing their assignments. They persist. They care about what they are doing, which motivates them to focus on the task at hand. They do their best, and they get their work done on time and turned in on time, everyday. Essentially, they take responsibility for their assignments.
Third, they study independently. Essentially, they take responsibility for their learning. They take good notes, learning to decipher between what is important and what is additional. They think through concepts and processes to make them their own. They ask questions for clarification. They make connections to previously learned material as well as to information across various subjects. They study for their tests and quizzes and keep track of their duties. They don’t just go through the motions of school; they actually try to learn.
All of these traits make this student look like a model student. How long does it take to develop this kind of student? Many years. But if you lead your children in the right ways, setting a high standard and helping them reach that standard, and if they work diligently at their studies, doing their best and wanting to excel, they can become a good student. By the way, being a good student is not the same thing as being super smart. Plenty of very bright young people have fallen short of reaching their potential because they would not bring their minds and bodies under control to become a good student.
Let me encourage you: continue at the task. Stress the necessity of paying attention (even at when you talk to them and give them instruction); establish patterns of time management; and help them learn to do their best, to care about learning, and to persevere through difficulties. Over the course of time, our children can become good students.
Sincerely,
Pastor Sutton