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Dear Parents:

Thank you for choosing to work with us in order to meet your children’s educational goals. Your goal is to provide your children with the educational resources to give them the best future possible. We understand, and we are here to achieve that, too!

Over the last 25 years, we have seen which students succeed (and which do not!) We share here our observations with you so you can guarantee your child’s success.

But remember: all offspring across all species on Earth learn their behaviour and attitudes from their parents - that is scientifically proven. Your kids are watching who you are, what you do, and how you act. Model the attitudes, habits, and behaviours that you want to see in your kids. You are not your kids’ friend - you are their parent, which means you have a role of leadership to fulfill.

Read our observations below about what makes for successful students.

When we see...

Attitudes

​...students who are happy and relaxed...

...that's because...

• they have a quiet place at home to study, and they have adequate time and home support; the parents supervise their kids' studies like being a student is a job, letting their children be productive without interruption.​
• when they do a good job, the parents praise them and express pride in them.
• the parents do not accept excuses or lies about work being finished; they check for themselves and correct bad behaviour when they see it.

...students who accept discipline, and learn and grow from being corrected...

• the parents have rules at home and they enforce them; the parents do not let their kids have anything they want anytime - sometimes, the answer is “no”.

...students who are able to overcome challenges and handle stress with maturity...

• the parents have taught their kids strategies for handling stress, and tell their kids they have the strength to overcome challenges, even when the kids do not believe it. The parents teach their kids about grit and perseverance.

​...students who show responsibility by owning up to their shortcomings, and take an active role in correcting their shortcomings...

• at home, these students have to contribute an equal part to their family; they must help at mealtimes, help clean up, and their parents gradually pass more and more life responsibilities to them.

...students who show motivation to work hard and improve...

• whatever they get from their parents, they must earn: nothing is given just because they ask for it.

​...students who prioritize education as the number one thing to do, and feel happiness and a sense of achievement...

• the parents make sure school and learning is first, over and above any other considerations (like time off, vacations, trips, dinners out, birthday parties, etc).

​...students who have high expectations of themselves and believe they can meet these expectations (and they do!)...

• ​the parents are responsible for their children, realizing home education is paramount; the parents follow up with us, and the parents take our suggestions and apply them. They encourage their children and praise their qualities, showing they believe in them!

​...students who are emotionally and mentally strong and who demonstrate resilience...

• ​the parents do not remove challenges from their kids' lives, but teach them how to deal with challenges in the right way; the parents give their kids confidence by letting them try (and sometimes fail, which is ok) and encouraging them to try again.

...students who are intellectually curious...

• ​the parents engage intellectually with the kids at home; life is not all about play. Activities outside of school are intellectually interesting and stimulating (i.e. visiting a museum rather than playing a video game; t.v. shows are about science and nature rather than mindless entertainment).

​...students who love reading...

• ​the parents convert t.v., movie, and video-game time into a different kind of entertainment - the world of reading!

​...students come with energy and excitement...

• the parents have made sure the kids have enough sleep, good, nutritious food (avoiding sugar) on time, and their kids have adequate eyewear to see and enough supplies (Iike binders, paper, etc) to study.

Behaviours

...students who pass their tests...

• students test themselves at home, and their parents encourage them to keep trying until they get it right.

...honest, hard-working students who are diligent and meticulous.

• the parents are also hard-working, honest, diligent, and meticulous.

...students who work hard first and use play as a reward for a job well-done; these students may need to give up some free time if it means fulfilling a responsibility...

• the parents have taught the child the value of sacrifice: sacrifice a little something now (like a bit of free time) to reap a larger reward later. 
• the parents have taught the value of earning - we are not entitled to the pleasures of life as free gifts; we have to work hard for them, and reward comes after the hard work, not before it.

...students who are respectful and polite to their teachers, parents, and peers, and listen carefully and learn much...

• the parents have good social manners, are respectful, calm, and polite to us, and work with us as a team to help their kids.

...students who will keep their word and follow-through with their tasks...

• the parents model these qualities in their behaviours.

...students who listen to their parents’ superior guidance and don’t argue with them...

• the parents have fair but firm rules at home, and the parents have established themselves as the ‘boss’ at home; the parents know they have superior intelligence and experience and their decisions will be in the best interest of their kids.

...students who don’t make excuses for not learning, but find ways to make it work anyway...

• the parents never help their kids find excuses, and hold their kids accountable to their learning and their responsibilities; there are never ‘exceptions’ or ‘special considerations’ - certain bottom lines are never crossed.

Achievements

...students who finish their homework and do a good job...

• students do their work many days before it’s due, and they contact the studio for help when they need help; their parents do not let them wait until the day before.

...students who get top marks in school...

• students have a positive learning attitude, and they are inquisitive; they apply what they learn at the Studio to their school work.
• students stay long-term, consistently with the Studio without term breaks or flitting from one place to another to another, but they are in it for the long-haul.​​
• students keep practicing and repeating what they learn again and again and again, and don’t stop in between terms.

...students who go to the top universities in Canada, the US, and the UK...

• students have been taught good virtues in the home: respect for their parents, hard work, honesty, making a contribution to their families and communities, self-discipline, and exude the qualities listed above.

Universities are looking not just for academic prowess but also personal qualities and virtues, including service to others, leadership, creativity, kindness, problem-solving, and more. This is a mindset we teach here at Potts Education Studio, and the aforementioned ways are how we, as a team, can guarantee them a bright future - not just to get into a good school, but to have a fulfilling and successful future for the rest of their lives!


Troubleshooting:  What can I do if my child…

a) …won’t listen to me?
Children will listen to parents they respect. To earn respect, be the model, the leader, and sometimes the boss. You make the rules and you enforce them, regardless of their reaction. Giving into whatever they want is not showing love: it hurts them in the long run. That said, do not be critical or mean. Be fair. When they do right, praise them for it. 

b) …lies to me about finishing work?
To foster an attitude of honesty, make sure honesty is praised and rewarded. Make sure dishonesty is not tolerated, even a little bit. Audit and check their work by asking them to show you (even if you can’t read it), asking us how they are doing, and keeping their report cards on file and reviewing them with you from time to time.

c) …falls into despair, saying the work is ‘too hard’?
All kids have a ‘get sympathy’ mechanism, with mothers particularly susceptible.  Some children will behave as if they are under some kind of grave threat. You are naturally inclined to protect your children, so you want to see no harm come to them. When you realize that some hard work, problem-solving, and figure-it-out (and sometimes the frustration that comes with that) is not actual harm, you will be able to guide your child into finding solutions: don’t know an answer? Think about it. Figure it out. Ask your teacher for help. Also, not knowing one answer does not stop a kid from doing all the other questions. Teach them not to shut down or give up.

It is important to note this: 
Nowadays, technology provides us with instant answers. Your children have never known a time when an answer was not discoverable at their fingertips. But giving answers doesn’t make a strong mind, just like driving someone around a racetrack doesn’t make them a strong runner. When kids see a question to which the answer is not immediately obvious, instead of thinking about it and figuring it out like all of humanity has done since the beginning of history, they throw up their hands and say, “I don’t know” or “I don’t get it”. This is very worrying. What’s worse, if you prod them to try, they do not appear have the patience to keep going. Answers have been given so quickly to them by technology that they have no patience with themselves to figure it out. What we need to do as adults is to reconfigure these children’s mind and train them to think and be patient: tell them they do have the ability to think and figure it out, and thinking does not stop until they figure something out, no matter how long it takes. Give them the encouragement to keep trying, no matter what. This makes for a successful student.