When I was a boy, my younger brother had two imaginary friends — Shorty and Shotty. Shorty and Shotty could be a mischievous pair of little boys. They would stop at nothing to get him in trouble. One time they took all of his clothes out of his hamper, turned them inside-out, and scattered them on the floor. (If we’re being fair, they did this to me, too!)

Blaming things on someone else (even imaginary people) is a psychological defense mechanism use to project (i.e., projection) one’s own wrongdoing elsewhere. It’s a matter of self-preservation. However, as people mature they realize that imaginary people do not exist. Unfortunately, the need to escape consequences for wrongdoing by pointing out the foibles of others may not. Since the prefrontal cortex will not finish developing until a person’s mid-20s, blaming “real” people is the next step in the evolution of blame.

I am going to assume that students do not want to be seen as or referred to as children; they say that they want to be treated as responsible young adults. So here is some young adult advice to consider before blaming your teacher/parents/school/etc. for your lack of mastery in math… or a lack of success in any endeavor, for that matter

1. How’s your attendance?

To master any acquired skill, repeated exposure is essential. You’ll never hit your 10,000 hours if you do not attend school — or class if you’re a college student. Showing up is half the battle. You’ll never even have a chance at learning new things when you decide to miss class.

2. Are you plugged in?

When you are in physical attendance, are you in mental attendance? In other words, are you cognitively engaged? Remember… I said showing up is half the battle. The other half is cognitive engagement. This is essential to learning and retaining new information. If you’re just going to sit around like a bump on a log, then you will be selling yourself short.

3. Do you participate in activities?

This is related to Question #2, but it deals more with the physical part of learning. Do you participate in lab activities? Do you look back through your notes to help you on these activities? Or do you go straight for the path of least resistance? Just gimme the answer, so I can get back to the the brain-numbing effects of iPhone.

4. Do you complete assignments?

Completing assignments solidifies the learning process. Think of your brain as a computer. The lesson is like downloading new software. Doing the assignments is like installing that software on your hard drive (i.e., your brain). Doing assignments ensures that you will remember concepts on game day (i.e., tests). Homework assignments are all part of the 10,000 hours that lead to exemplary performance.

5. Do you ask questions?

Many students do not ask questions when they do not understand something. One scenario students may find themselves in is a class where they not paying attention. They were talking, texting, or whatever. When they realize that they have missed something important, they do not ask for fear of reprisal. This probably happens more than we realize. Don’t let it happen to you, dear student.

6. Do you study?

I am perpetually amazed at the number of students who do not understand how to study. Most students believe — when there is no artifact-producing activity, assignment, or other piece of paper — that they do not have any homework, or at least outside-the-classroom work. No notion could be more misguided. Studying your notes or re-reading a text even if it is not assigned is what separates great students from coulda-beens.

7. Do you repeat?

To be effective, the process needs to be repeated early and often. (Lather, rinse repeat.) Repetition is the mother of all learning. Michael Jordan was the best because he practiced his craft. It is worth noting that Michael Jordan failed to deliver on multiple occasions, but it never stopped him from practicing and playing the game he loved. Don’t give up if you do not hit a home run the first time you are up to bat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. The only way to fail if to give up.

One of the best things any person can do is to read books. When you’re curious, read a book or find a reliable website/blog to read about a topic.

Until next time…

Remember that success is a planned event. Believe in yourself.

Pay attention, do the work, and don’t give up!

And don’t forget to check out my new YouTube channel!

www.youtube.com/@PlanetNumeracy