How to Get Good High School Grades: Do Your Homework

Masses of American high school students at-large, have a problem doing homework. This, I assert, is the primary reason why American public schools are at-risk. This, I assert, is the primary reason why American students do not measure up in international comparisons of academic achievement. And this alone is the primary reason so many students at our school do not achieve their great potential. They all know how--it is no secret how to study--but they don't know why. They know they can, but know not why they should. They do some, but not all. What they do, they do with an air of reluctant, mediocre superficiality. Put succinctly, the vast majority have no academic "fire in the belly." They simply do not care enough. And worse, we teachers enable them by "dumbing down" or "differentiating" our expectations in cynical resignation to a seemingly impossible task: to get students to do their job.

There are countless "how" rules out there that are of great value I am sure, but they are of no value whatsoever if the "why" rules below are not followed. If they are followed, it does not matter how you go about it. In my life as a teacher, that spans four decades, these principles are the defining traits of my best students. Think about it: if a student has no reason to study, he will be disinclined to do it well, if at all. What we have, therefore, is not a crisis of methods, but a crisis of values.

1. Good students care. That is to say, they value learning above all other secondary activities. They have a highly developed sense of academic honor, without which there can be no academic progress. They are emotionally and intellectually committed to learning for its own sake. They apply Aristotle's dictum, "All men by their nature desire to know" and they train their minds to take control of impulse. They discipline themselves to honoring the commitment they are obliged to make to themselves, their teachers, their parents, their community, and their country. They see themselves too, as inheritors of a historical legacy of learning, and recognize that the life of the mind is the key to their progress as individuals and citizens. They look forward to the time that they will develop the intellectual and personal qualities that their own children will honor.
   
2. Good students do their homework all of the time, and they do it with excellence. They do not do it part of the time, or some of the time, or when it is convenient. They do it right. They set homework (aka curricular activity) as the top priority in their school experience. It takes priority over all extra-curricular activities. It takes priority over everything that is non-essential to their academic experience. They do their homework all the time because it sets up a responsible, disciplined habit of mind that applies to every aspect of life. They recognize that mental discipline is a guarantor of success. They are not confused about priorities.

But how do you get someone to care about the life of the mind, and change his way of living? This is a classic question not easy to answer, and I propose some suggestions below, which will guarantee results.

1. Begin reading Plato's Apology and Republic, the Analects of Confucius. They are medicine, and will teach you why to care, and why you should do your homework.
   
2. Leave the Ipod and cellphone at home. They are drugs, and the more you take them, the more you need them.
   
3. Limit your part-time job hours to fifteen. You don't need a lot of money. You don't need to move about so much.
   
4. Have the courage to cut back on your extracurriculars. It is a myth that colleges care about this. They care about your grades, period.
   
5. If you have a car, learn how to say "No" to your friends. You are not a chauffeur. Your ego should be wrapped in mental power, not horsepower.

In short, take responsibility for your education, and your grades will take care of themselves.