Excellence Through Practice

"Help your children understand that excellence in education cannot be achieved without intellectual and moral integrity coupled by hard work and commitment." - National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983.

There are no shortcuts to excellence, whether in education, the arts, business or sports. Aristotle wrote, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." We need to encourage our children to develop the habit of excellence. Excellence only comes with repeated practice. While our children often resist practicing, it is our job as parents to encourage and support the virtues of repetition and practice.

what we are

"In the last analysis, what we are communicates far more eloquently than anything we say or do." - Stephen R. Covey

Dr. Covey understands the proper role of parents. Living a life of integrity in the presence of our children is far more instructive than the words we say. This is not to say we should remain silent about values and virtues but rather that our instruction is far more effective when our words are matched and modeled in our deeds.