Message from the

Head of Senior School

Term 3 Week 7

One of the things I am enjoying most about this year is teaching two Year 8 classes. There are some real characters in those classes and they certainly keep me grounded! I believe it’s important for everyone in middle and upper management positions in our school to take a junior class reasonably often, and preferably not a ‘top’ class. That’s when and how we find out the realities of students’ lives (because they tell us and because we experience it with them.) However, one thing I have learnt this year (and over many years) is that far too many students are their own worst enemy when it comes to learning effectively, and their main issue is lack of self-discipline. If you're looking to improve your teenager’s success in school, you might want to think about encouraging his or her self-discipline. Self-discipline not only relates strongly to school grades and results but also to positive school-related behaviours.

When we talk about "self-discipline," we're actually talking about a number of different personality factors. One element of self-discipline is low impulsivity. A student who is less impulsive is able to wait their turn, to avoid interrupting others' conversations and to stay seated and quiet when appropriate. Self-discipline also includes the ability to control one's own thoughts, emotions and actions. Finally, a child's ability to delay gratification is an important element of self-discipline. Disappointingly often I see students who interrupt other students or their teacher, who feel the need to comment about things that are not their business (usually to score points or have a laugh at someone else’s expense), or who sabotage their own progress because they can’t control themselves enough to stay focused during a lesson.

Recent studies by psychologists have shown that self-discipline is key to academic success. Children with high self-discipline also behaved differently in relation to school. In particular, they were less frequently absent, did more hours of homework, spent less time glued to a screen and began their homework earlier in the day compared to children with low self-discipline. Perhaps most interesting of all, these scientists found that self-discipline was more important than intelligence in predicting learning success.

Interestingly, the researchers also found that the ability to wait for a reward was associated with higher self-esteem. In other words, self-discipline seems to be related to many variables that are key to school success. I would suggest that success in later life, both professionally and personally, is also related to our ability to exercise self-control. Whether it’s in a social setting, behind the wheel of a car or dealing with work colleagues or family, it’s important not to act impulsively. I urge you all to think about how best you can encourage your child to exercise some self-control. It can be a challenge but the short and long term benefits are worth the effort.

On a less lecturing note (!) I had the pleasure last night of attending the Year 12 HSC Music recital evening. What a joy! The talent, hard work and sheer pleasure in making music was impressive and hugely entertaining. It was also wonderful to see such a large and appreciative audience in attendance to celebrate with these great young people, who have no doubt had to exercise enormous self-discipline over the years when they would rather have just thrown it all in and taken the easier path, thus avoiding the hours of practice involved. Instead, they stuck with it and have arrived at a place of enormous satisfaction for both themselves and for those who love and support them.

I wish you all a great fortnight.

Bev West

Head of Senior School