Donate!
Please help us on our journey to raise $100 million!
Understanding the Past, Creating the Present, Imagining the Future
Understanding the Past, Creating the Present, Imagining the Future
After getting ready for school, I sit down to eat breakfast. It’s early, and my mom usually gets up before I do.
Each morning, she asks me if I have a test that day. If I answer yes, she prepares a special snack for me to eat before I leave the house. Usually it’s a few cubes of firm tofu or a handful of peanuts.
“That’s odd,” you might say
In the Vietnamese language, each snack contains the word “đậu” (pronounced “dau” but with a heavy tone). This word has a few translations. The first translation is “bean.” Tofu is made of soy beans. The second translation is “to pass an examination.”
While I ate the snack, I had to repeat to myself (translated to English), “Eating this peanut (or tofu) will help me pass my examination.” This is utterly silly in its translated form!
Furthermore, these weren’t “magical beans” that would give me the ability to ace my exams!
It wasn’t until high school that I realized the purpose to the ritual. Repeating the sentence on the morning of an examination was the equivalent of an athlete preparing his or her mind mentally before a match.
At Academy of the Renaissance, we believe that part of everything we do involves having the right mindset.
I start out each school year by spending almost an entire month preparing my students mentally. Motivate, activate, and achieve are three words I keep in mind during this first month.
I must first motivate my students by giving them every possible reason for coming to school and doing well at everything they will do throughout the year. A motivated student is ten times easier to teach than one who could care less about school. Motivated students have come to the realization that education is an important stepping stone in life. The doubts and barriers that prevent students from believing in themselves are down, and they are open to learning.
Next, I must activate my students by teaching them and making them practice the correct study habits. A motivated tennis player who does not know how to practice playing tennis will never win a tournament. Likewise, students who do not know exactly how to study will not achieve a level of excellence. The academic habits at home should reflect those taught in school. This is why students whose parents are college graduates are more likely to succeed in school because they are taught the same successful study skills their parents used. Therefore, educating parents about reinforcing successful study habits will be an important part of our school.
Finally, I push my students to achieve. I get my students to constantly think about acing that next quiz or test. Even if they didn’t do well, I encourage them to have a growth mindset by telling them to study afterschool with me so that I can clarify any confusion or doubt about the content and retake the exam to get a better grade. Every small achievement develops the growth mindset so that my students’ self-confidence and self-esteem grow each day.
Developing the right mindset, coupled with the right skillset, will prepare students to achieve anything great in life.
Having the right mindset at Academy of the Renaissance will be required of every stakeholder if we are to achieve excellence in education. Developing this culture will require time and dedication. Once achieved, I believe Academy of the Renaissance will become an exemplary school who will “đậu” regardless of any test we’re given!
This post is dedicated to my mom, who passed away while I was in college. Without ever receiving a college degree, she convinced all eight children (using her “magical beans”) to earn their college degree. She believed in all I did and convinced me that I can accomplish great things in my life. I have accomplished many great things; however, there are even greater things to accomplish!
~ Thank you, Mom!
