I love this, from Angela Lee Duckworth. (via Flourish)
After years of working with children at both ends of the achievement spectrum, I now have a distinctly different view of school reform. The problem is not only the schools but also the students themselves. Here’s why: learning is hard. True, learning is fun, exhausting and sometimes discouraging. By and large, students who no longer want to learn, who don;t think they can learn, and who don’t see any point in learning simply won’t – no matter how wonderful the school or teacher…
To help chronically low-performing but intelligent students, educators and parents must first realise that character is at least as important as intellect.