Every year students go through an adjustment period as many of our first year students who received their high school education in North America struggle to learn how to organize their work week,  how to be fully attentive, how to listen and follow directions.

These are  important requisites for learning effectively, and it seems that our grade school and secondary school systems are letting students down by not making reasonable demands and not helping students develop “the habits of mind”  that will make them successful in life.

Without a school culture that supports focus, everything breaks down.  No matter how excellent the curriculum, the instruction, and the potential of the students, an unfocused  environment will not enable students to develop to their maximum potential.  It’s essential that they respect the school, each other,  and their own talent.

What we need is a focus on effort.  This includes what Confucius called “qualities of attention,” that is an ability to pay attention, listen, hear and follow directions.  No one can ask students to do more than give their best efforts.  When they do that, no matter what the outcome they can respect themselves.  Not surprisingly, if they can learn to listen to instructions, focus, and give the work their best shot, they are surprised by how much they learn and how good the work is.

It’s painful to suddenly have to be responsible and hard working.  For some people, focus and concentration are a new experience.  They thought they were concentrating before, but they’ve never been asked before to be 100% behind their work.  They didn’t know they weren’t  really listening because a lower level of attention was acceptable.

We’ve  just finished week 5 of first semester.  The turn-around for people who aren’t really working as hard as they should, has to happen now.  They have to realize that what they are doing is for themselves, - not for grades, diplomas or degrees, but for the development of their talent.  God is generous with talent.  The “habits of mind”  are what enable some people to develop while others languish.

Now we have to hope that we can communicate this and give those of our first year students who, in my opinion, have up to now been poorly educated,  the greatest gift we can pass on: how to actualize your own potential.