Students were surprised today when I told them that homework is not their top priority. Rather, if they want the best possible education—and life!—then they should ensure that they eat well, exercise regularly, and sleep well (probably at least nine hours each evening).
My students are great: polite, personable, cooperative, smart, and hard working. But if they want to make it through four years of a demanding IB-prep and IB Diploma program, then they must do more than just survive: they must thrive!
And the secret to thriving is no secret at all: it’s eating well, exercising regularly, sleeping well—and efficiently complete as much homework as is compatible with the requirement to eat, move, and sleep!
I always recommend that if the choice is between sleeping and homework, sleeping should win. Of course, most days there’s no need for such a choice: efficient students can organize their lives such that they can do their homework and eat, move, and sleep. But always, the latter must take precedence over the former!
This evening I’m doing my part to help my students lead a balanced life: I’m extending the deadline for the Super-power Autobiography assignment to Friday, 24 September 2010. This should allow students more than enough time to finish up and obtain a useful peer review.
Eat! Move! Sleep! (And do some homework). That’s the “secret” to the success of my great students!
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