It’s funny how much we can learn about school and testing by looking at sports. After all, where else do we glorify clutch performance over competitors after an enduring commitment to incremental improvement through sustained practice?
As parents and teachers, considering sports helps us recognize that every athlete has the opportunity to start at one level of ability and practice towards a better one. Not every player becomes a starter, and precious few win any kind of championship. But the pride we take in watching our kids strive and struggle towards their best success doesn’t need to be limited to athletic accomplishments…
Take a lesson from the other side of the proverbial aisle and consider how this wise observation might apply to academic achievement:
Your child’s success or lack of success in tests does not indicate what kind of parent you are.
But having a student who is coachable, respectful, a great classmate, mentally tough, resilient, and tries his or her best IS a direct reflection of your parenting.
Now let’s get out there and do our best to support championship-level learning!
Mike Bergin