Susan Cain, Author of Quiet, and a powerful advocate for the power of introverts, speaks about the illuminating importance of individual study:
” the heart of the way people actually learn—by working, on their own, on problems just out of their reach. According to research psychologist Anders Ericsson, who has famously studied expert performers in a variety of fields in order to understand how people get to be great at what they do, “serious study alone” is a key predictor of talent and expertise.”
Whenever I start one of my new classes, one of the first things I tell my students is that I’m not going to give them homework — I quickly add ‘in class’ before the smiles get too big. I then explain to them that to give them blanket homework would be to assume that they all have the same needs out of our program — a terrible assumption.
Rather, I focus on their individual development through 1-on-1 learning. This is because individual attention is the difference between a slight knowledge hop and a quantum leap. In our individual sessions, I can learn about my students’ ambitions, goals, and dreams. I can learn about their fears. I can about their strengths and weakpoints.
I can use all of these powerful points of connection to craft a plan that is designed just for them.
And this allows us to:
- Learn together
- Explore together
- Grow together
And that, I believe, is the difference at Mindfish. We could tell you something interesting about every single young person who walks through our door. And that emphasis on individual learning, and an environment for students to explore, struggle, and make mistakes allows them to reach their highest potential. And it lets us be incredibly proud of them when all is said and done.
And in a test prep world where every inch of progress counts, and 1 point could decide going to your dream school, that can make all of the difference.
