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that the likely reason is because grading
schemes in most high schools include
effort as a component of the grade. And
high effort is an outward indication of
good character traits like conscientious-
ness and persistence. Good character
leads not only to a virtuous life; it leads
to personal achievement.
To flesh out this idea a bit, please con-
sider the national lament that students
seem increasingly unable to focus, to
stay with projects when they become dif-
ficult, to remain engaged when the vol-
ume of their lives gets turned down, and
less willing to simply work a problem to
completion because they are expected to
do so. If we grant these observations for
the sake of argument, it could be said
that students increasingly seem to lack
the qualities of sustained attention, per-
sistence, determination, delayed gratifi-
cation and conscientiousness…all terms
that one can easily find in Peterson’s and
Seligman’s standard taxonomy,
Character
Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and
Classification
.
We have bemoaned the
steady decline in American standardized
test scores, which we have assumed to
be reliable indicators of future academic
success. And we have endured a deafen-
ing clamor to create better test takers
by focusing on the “common core” and
other artificial standards.
The flaws in this argument are, to me,
many and obvious. If character correlates
reliably with performance, and character
deficiencies are pervasive, then character
development should be our first concern.
But, some will argue, schools are not
parents. We should focus on academic
content and leave the “personal” stuff
to them. I would counter that if we are
truly committed to preparing young
people to become productive citizens,
lifetime learners and successful leaders,
then we simply must focus on character.
Furthermore, Paul Tough demonstrates,
character traits are not immutable
aspects of personality. They are not life
sentences; they are habits. And habits
can be changed.
Many of you will have read the recent
bestseller
The Power of Habit
,
by Charles
Duhigg. If you have not done so, then
I heartily recommend this
book to you. It is a very read-
able exposition on the science
behind habit formation,
helping one to clearly under-
stand this mysterious part of
our nature. It also describes
unambiguous, effective meth-
ods to form good habits and
change bad habits. So much
energy is consumed in our
culture trying to reverse bad
habits (consider the prepon-
derance of diet and self-help
books at the top of each
week’s best-seller lists,) that
if you are like me, you will
find this book and its revelations greatly
reassuring!
New developments in brain science
are the bases for Duhigg’s book, and
also for the terrific bestseller by Daniel
Coyle that I also recommend for your
edification:
The Talent Code
.
Coyle
demonstrates how recent discoveries
in neurochemistry have correlated the
production of a substance called myelin
with exceptional performance in any
number of endeavors from math and
science, to music, to athletics to complex
problem solving, and beyond. Myelin
coats and insulates the synaptic circuits
that are activated during complex mental
and physical activity, and has been
found to be the critical neural compo-
nent of skill, talent and genius. And, it
turns out, myelin production occurs as
a byproduct of what Coyle calls “deep
practice.” “How do you get to Carnegie
Hall?” the tourist asks the New York
cabby. “Practice, practice, practice,” he
responds.
But not just any practice — certainly
not unfocused repetition. Deep practice
is characterized by intensity, concentra-
tion and struggle. A key technique is
“
chunking” — breaking down compli-
cated movements into small component
parts — and then repeating each part
until mastery is achieved. It is not, as an
example, sitting down, playing a musical
piece through at full speed, acknowl-
edging the errors, and then moving on
to the next assignment, only to repeat
the process the next day. Rather, “deep
practicers” move haltingly through each
exercise, address the smallest mistakes
immediately, and achieve mastery before
moving to the next section. To continue
the analogy, practice is not performance;
it is not pretty. But done in this manner,
“
Character development remains at the center of each
student’s experience. This is not sanctimonious marketing
spin. It is a promise we make to our students and to our
parents…”
KEN PRIVAK AND JOHN KENNEY
