The Gift of Great Expectations
Does unearned praise do students more harm than good? On November 30, noted commentator and formerWall Street Journal deputy managing editor Joanne Lipman joined Phyllis Schlafly on Eagle Forum Live. Lipman argued that grit is a better indicator of success than test scores, and a little pain could be a good thing after all.
Current educational philosophies emphasize self-esteem, affirmation, and project-oriented learning. In her bookStrings Attached: One Tough Teacher and the Gift of Great Expectations, however, Lipman chronicles the story of a “fierce” New Jersey public school music teacher, who introduced grit to the lives of thousands of students, herself included. Although his insistence on excellence and forced drills often brought students to tears, their later accomplishments validated his methods.
Lipman cited studies demonstrating that “moderate childhood stress” is beneficial, and middle schoolers affirmed for their hard work ethic performed better than those affirmed for their intelligence. In eight principles drawn from the examples of her music teacher and other successful educators, Lipman emphasized the need for strict personal discipline, commitment, and repetition as a key to learning.
While today’s students are often cushioned from failing, Lipman offered an alternative: a world in which students are expected to fail sometimes, but expected also to become stronger as a result, and continue on. In a Wall Street Journal piece titled Why Tough Teachers Get Good Results, she urged a return to old-fashioned education, which she describes as “strict discipline and unyielding demands.” Love, Lipman suggests, can be both unconditional and tough, believing great things for students and expecting great things from them.
“There is no such thing as a born genius. Most creative giants work ferociously hard,” Lipman writes. Research suggests that 10,000 hours of practice is required in order to develop expertise, giving the hard-working individual the extra edge needed. The relentless pursuit of excellence is an American tradition, and the teachers who demand that pursuit do their students a great kindness.
Learn more about why tough teachers get good results, and the value of grit, by visiting eagleforum.org/radio
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