Bounce

I am currently reading a book by Mathew Syed entitled"Bounce". It is a critical exploration into why some people are successful in our endeavors and how everyone can utilize this awareness to achieve our goals. Many of the research cited resonates with my experience as a teacher and I found the phrase "purposeful practice" to be a succinct and clear objective for all students. If students participate in "purposeful practice" in each area of their academics, they are bound to be successful. The author implies that natural ability is largely a myth. He implies that Venus Williams doesn't have a supernatural ability to play tennis, rather she has practiced purposefully since she was 4 years old. This has set her up to be successful and through careful practice, she has achieved enormous success. While I am only half way through the book, I feel compelled to recommend it to others. There are so many fascinating ideas that arise from this theory, and one that I think is easily communicated is that if we help students ensure that the time they are spending towards achieving their academic goals is purposeful and efficient, their progress will be readily visible and success imminent.