When I was in high school, I wrestled. I did not grow up wrestling, rather it was something that my football coach suggested that I do to improve my athleticism. Wrestling is different from any other sport in which I ever participated, and I learned a great deal about the sport and myself during my competitive years. My senior year, our team had T-shirts made with the slogan – “pain is just weakness leaving the body.” For those that have wrestled, this likely seems quite normal, even tame, and for those that have not, it may seem a little radical. Ultimately, enduring grueling training is ingrained in the culture of the sport, so that the match is never as hard as the practice.
Lately, our Skills classes have been exploring the connection between learning, the brain, and emotions. As we continued to explore this topic, it became clear to me that discomfort, to some degree, is a regular and necessary part of the learning process. Unlike wrestling culture, however, students, in general, don’t tend to champion the idea that learning should have a discomfortable component.
Truth be told, for several years I used the hash tag - #learning is fun – for BHS posts, because our students truly enjoy all of the hands-on projects and activities. However, it is not as fun, and does not make for a good Instagram post, to watch as students build strong learning habits. In every class, every day, students are required to use their planners, organize their binders, and complete other tasks that, eventually, become strong habits of mind. It is this daily attention to the acquisition and maintenance of skills that is hard for most adolescents. Throughout their time at BHS, our students are intentionally challenged and supported as they develop these necessary life skills.
This work is not glamorous, but it is critical. Unlike the joy that comes from having one’s arm raised in a wrestling match, the joy that comes from improved learning skills is gradual. Through the years, however, I have witnessed the great pride that our students exhibit as they begin to reap the benefits of their new skills.
Perhaps I will make a t-shirt extolling the virtues of organization, like “organization is just loose papers leaving the cubby.” I will report back if this takes off…