January 2024 Issue

The Compounding Effect of Progress

At the start of December, I emailed everyone who is currently with me to inform them of the competition being held for this issue. The purpose of the competition was to help students identify their journey and to develop a community.

During this past month, Only one student participated and their story is published below. Congratulations Clara Parker, I will contact your parents and, as outlined in the email, you will receive a reward of £34.20 or 1 free hour of lesson.

By participating in this competition, Clara has outlined the actions she has taken since the start of this academic year and her success in her December mocks will outline the effectiveness of her actions.

I cannot underemphasise the importance of sustaining a method of measure for progress throughout the academic year which is constantly reviewed (at least once a month) as this serves as a powerful driving force for students (and even adults) to develop a growth mindset. As a result, I challenge every one of my readers here, regardless of age, to outline the different ways which you have developed this year and to share it with your family this weekend.

"You are the author of your own life story. Make it a masterpiece." - Unknown

The Butterfly Effect

The butterfly effect is a fundamental principle in chaos theory as the flap of a butterfly’s wings can result in the change in path of a tornado that is generated later on in time.

The compounding effect of progress works on the very same principle. By making small changes in your day to day behaviour you will notice massive changes in your habitual patterns (e.g. getting off the bus one stop earlier may prevent you entering the shop and buying sweets. This in turn will change your energy levels and impact your ability to focus on work at home. If you make small changes such as this throughout the year, you will notice a compounding effect in your performance and academic grades!)

What’s more is that by making small changes to your daily routine regularly, you will find that pretty soon, you have made a drastic change which you would have otherwise not been able to do. The reason for this is progress.

"Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control. It is determined for the insect, as well as for the star. Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper." - Albert Einstein

Why big changes are bad

When working with students, I have found that every single student initially over-estimates their capabilities as a human being and often times work hard to make massive changes over night.

This usually results in a massive amount of work, pain and damage to mental health as they either fail and learn that their best effort was not enough for them to attain their desired grade, or they do well and learn to associate last minute over-work as a good thing and develop a lazy mentality.

"People don't resist change. They resist being changed." - Peter Senge

How to make the change

The golden rule here is consistency. By taking consistent action on small changes you will notice massive progress in the long run which will serve to improve your core identity and ability. As your ability improves, you're able to take more action which will help you to progress faster and make more changes.

The Silver rule of 3s - I have found that if you manage to keep the changes you make for 3 days, then you will likely last 2 weeks. If you keep the change for 3 weeks, then you will likely last 2 months and if you keep the change for 3 months, then expect to keep it for at least 2 years if not a lifetime.

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." - Barack Obama

For Parents (and inquisitive children 😁)

It all boils down to changing their identity as an individual. This is the change which all teenagers find challenging (and even scary! 😂) They have to become aware that if they want to achieve the best grades possible, then they will need to be open to changing their identity as an individual.

There are numerous ways which anyone can go about doing this, however they always simplify to these 2 things:

1) Change in action - Making small changes in what they do as an individual over a pro-longed period of time will have a serious impact in the results they gain and serve to change their perception of themselves.

2) Change in story - Everyone one of us are living in a story. Our past is nothing more than the effects of our actions combined with the stories we create. By taking control of the story we tell ourselves, we take control of our identities; the direction in which we move and the journey we experience - Part of the reason why seeing a mentor is so important is that it is our job to guide students in their journey, shining a light in the face of the unknown.

"The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love, and to be greater than our suffering." - Ben Okri

My Journey: Student Development Story Contest

As mentioned above, the winner of the contest held for this academic year is Clara Parker! Clara is a GCSE student who has put in a lot of hard work since the start of this academic year. She has developed a strong and independent personality and has continued to work hard since the start of the year. Her progress is evident in our lessons, her commitment and dedication to hard work. Please take a moment to read through her development story since the start of the academic year.

“The pressure has definitely increased this year now I’m in Year 11 and I’ve found it helpful to try to visualise my goals and then break down the steps into small manageable tasks so I don’t get overwhelmed.

I’ve deleted TikTok (and I don’t actually miss it at all!), plus I’m trying to take a few minutes each day to write down all the good things that have happened. I have learned how to manage stress better through breathing techniques, especially in exams. I’m also maintaining a better sleep schedule than last year and I’m trying to cut down on the amount of sugar in my diet, which definitely helps to keep me more focussed.

I have been making sure I have one night a week completely study-free so I can still go out with my friends and have fun!”

Donations

Every year, there is at least one family whom I encounter that is in the middle of a difficult life situation which is made more challenging by their lack of finances. A donation of just £1 ph goes a long way to help me reduce the challenges which they face.

This is completely optional and it is appreciated should any family be able to give.

Offers Available