STRAIGHT FROM THE HEAD A message from our Head of School Juan Luis Vives was born in Valencia, Spain, the same year that Columbus set sail for the New World. Educated at an academy in Valencia and then at the College of Beauvais, Paris, he was invited by Cardinal Wolsey to come and serve Henry VIII during his most turbulent years. One of his assigned duties was the supervision of the early education of Princess Mary – yes, the infamous “Bloody Mary.” He also seems to have played an influential role in the life of Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit Order and an educational reformer himself, who was very active during the Catholic Counter-Reformation. We have much to learn from Juan Luis Vives, for he dedicated his entire life to classical education. One such lesson is found in a publication by Vives called The Transmission of Knowledge (published in 1531). In the appendix of that publication, there is a short section entitled “The Scholar and the World,” which contains a goldmine of educational truth. I would like to share one golden nugget from the appendix that might be of interest, especially as you anticipate reviewing your child’s Report Card for Semester 1 on Fridayafternoon. In “The Scholar and the World,” Vives refers to a pronouncement that has been credited to Origen, the early Church Father, who said, “Do not blush if you do not achieve success in something which you have done as well as you possibly could. Blush to do badly what you could do well.” When we consider Origen’s pronouncement in relation to student effort vs. achievement, I see two principles emerge right away: (1) Students should be taught to celebrate effort more than grades, and (2) Students should blush when (poor) grades reflect a lack of effort, not a lack of ability. We live in a culture where achievement is celebrated much more than effort. After all, there is no grade given for “effort” in most schoolwork. Professional athletes are rewarded when they win, not when they are “efforting” - to quote sportscaster Dan Patrick. And CEO’s are rewarded when profits are up and the stock price reaches a new 52-week high, not when they have made a strong effort. Likewise, in most classrooms across America - as in corporate boardrooms or sports arenas - achievement, measured by grades, profits, wins, etc., will invariably lead to celebration, while effort will seldom be recognized or praised. As a school intent on equipping a generation of academically competent and spiritually confident young men and women, we at Heritage ought to diligently and intentionally praise effort, not just achievement. Competence will be achieved when a student gains mastery of a given subject or topic, and that is an important objective. Confidence, on the other hand, will develop when a student’s effort is encouraged and praised. Soo Chang Head of School
Posted on: Fri, 17 Jan 2014 20:51:44 +0000
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