One of the problems with trying to help underdogs, especially with government programs, is that they and everyone else start to think of them as underdogs, focusing on their problems rather than their opportunities. Thinking of themselves as underdogs can also dissipate their energies in resentments of others, rather than spending that energy making the most of their own possibilities.
is an interesting book which had one point in particular that I took away from reading it:
- Why Don't Students Like School:
- A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works
and What It Means for the Classroom
by Daniel T. WillinghamAlways talk about successes and failures in terms of effort, not ability.This is a crucial point. If you praise effort and success, you increase morale. But if you praise ability apart from effort, you are actually flattering the student.And flattery can only tend to produce arrogance and a reluctance to apply effort.
After all, why should a person who is already smart have to study?
Excellent observation. I’ll look for the source in my library!
bookmark
Excellent point and something that applies to everyone all through life, if it was in fact practiced we’d have fewer prima donnas and more truly productive people..