Weekend Words: Smart is not something you are.

"Smart is not something you are, smart is something you get." So true!  This was a quote from Stephanie Harvey that I heard at her workshop in May.  I think this resonates with me as a teacher so much because I have worked many years with enrichment students and now several years with struggling students.  And, I have seen this quote reflected in their thinking and achievement in very different ways.

My struggling students tend to think "smart kids" are just that way.  They see smart as an inherent trait "smart kids" just have.  They don't see being smart as something that requires some action to achieve.

The so-called "smart kids" often take being smart for granted because they are often naturally inquisitive.  They want to know more so they don't see the work, the actions of reading, writing, listening, investigating, etc. as work.  They see it as a means to an end tin satisfying their curiosity.

I guess then, our goal is to build that inquisitive nature in our students.  To guide them in living a curious life!