Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Time, Focus, Apt Strategy, and Choice Lead to Success

Students' time investment related to homework
in the past two days. 
You are what you do?

Such a simple, but powerful notion.

Who do you want to be?

What do you want to succeed at?

Do you invest time into the areas where you want to grow and develop?

I'll start math class with this discussion today.  I'll show students the graph to the right which demonstrates the minutes students devoted to their Khan Academy math practice in the last two days.

I'll point out that while some students spent 0 minutes on practice, others spent more than 60 minutes. I'll discuss balance too and the fact that we all have many interests so you don't have to overdo it unless you're really passionate about math, but you need to give math study the expected thirty minutes a day. Time matters when it comes to learning.

When students understand the value of investing time into their dreams, hopes, passions, and needs, then they'll see learning as a goal within their grasp not a natural tendency or inherited trait, a myth so many still believe.

With this in mind, I'll continue to focus on the BIG 4: Time, Focus, Apt Strategy, and Choice as key factors that lead to success in any arena.

Coaching growth mindsets also takes time, and a few minutes devoted to this topic each day may serve to empower every learner in the class.