Reading Matters
“For where your treasure is…”
There is a great deal to be said about setting goals. The old joke that “I plan to be spontaneous next Tuesday” speaks to the two vital aspects of the human psyche- the need to act in the moment but also the requirement to think about the future.
There is an expression “treading water”. It refers to just doing enough to get out of trouble. Over my long teaching career, I have noticed that some students do the bare minimum, enough to get a C grade and achieve satisfactory learning outcomes. However, education is going beyond the mandated work to something that challenges and provokes curiosity. That is where teachers enter the process. How much advice does your child seek from their teacher? Does he/she know how to improve grades in the next assessment task? Do they care enough to ask?
Storing up treasures means preparing the ground for future meeting of personal goals. I know how important education is for children who live in poorer countries. I have seen firsthand, children in wretched poverty doing homework in semi-darkness in the hope of something better. Recent studies show that 25% of disengaged young people do not complete school, with some variation nationally from primary to secondary school. This should be concerning.
Of the 25% who did not complete school in 2013-14, one in four students indicated that they did not like school, with some indicating that their disinterest was because of not doing well.
Of concern is the quietly disengaged student, who sometimes goes unnoticed because they are usually compliant, but not as productive as they could be.
Short-term goals - is one that can be completed quickly. It could be a goal to be achieved in the next 5 minutes, next day or week. An example of a short-term goal is to go for a run today or to read a page of my biology book.
Medium-term goals - is one that takes a bit longer. It could be a goal to be achieved in the next 2 weeks, a month or perhaps 6 months. A medium term goal might be to run 10km. The only way to run 10km is to achieve several short-term goals of running a shorter distance.
Long-term goals -This one that takes quite a bit longer. It could be a goal to be achieved in the next 6 months, a year or perhaps 5, 10 or 20 years. A long- term goal might be to run a marathon. The only way to run a marathon is to achieve several medium term goals such as running 10km, 15km, a half marathon, 30km and finally a full marathon. A long-term study goal might be to gain TAFE or university entry or to achieve a degree or diploma.
I urge all our students to undertake the same preparation in their studies as is done for sports or other activities. Prepare the ground for success and by success, I mean the quality of the attempt. Reports are due to be sent home and surely, THE most significant grade is the one that reflects effort and application. Diligence and commitment to any task while at school is great preparation for life.
Paul Cullen
paul.cullen@cg.catholic.edu.au