“Growth is a spiral process, doubling back on itself, reassessing and regrouping.“
– Julia Margaret Cameron 

When we watch Keystone students perform a lab in their science classes, practice their serve, or rehearse a scene in the theater, we admire their commitment to getting it right. Students share how they revise their essays, re-do problem sets, or struggle with verb conjugations in a different language to produce something in which they can take pride.  

Those moments are challenging and often vexing, but are the most important times in the learning process. In fact, they are every bit as critical as the final product they produce, maybe even more so.  When students figure out how they arrived at a final destination, they can replicate that in other pieces of work; what they have discovered has applicability for similar problems.  Their learning transcends the immediate and becomes a permanent part of their identity as a student.  

Perhaps just as importantly, the realization that as Thomas Edison said, “Genius is 99% perspiration, 1% inspiration” can be applied to all areas of their lives.  The same determination they demonstrate in their science fair project can be applied to learning a piece on piano or the information for a test in history. The preparation they do for a class presentation can be replicated to their upcoming tennis match.  Similarly, the good feeling that results from hard work producing positive results can be present in all areas of their lives.  

I asked Grades 5-12 English Department Leader Jennifer Hall and Grades 5-12 Math Department Leader Brice Mertz for their thoughts on this process. Ms. Hall, who teaches Grades 5 and 6 English said: “The writing process and the work of revision are thinking made manifest. The task of putting words on paper and then wrestling them into saying what you need to say is how we think about complex ideas. I always tell students that all of our drafts are equally important, and no draft is ever really final. The process of writing and revising a piece also helps you to develop your individual voice, your own unique way of expressing ideas. When we are first learning to write, a lot of times we learn formulaic writing in order to internalize the elements that need to be included. However, a writer moves past that when they start to add their own voice to their work. Finally, when you write and revise, you are teaching yourself anew how to use language and making sure that your next piece is even better.”

To echo what Ms. Hall says, it’s important for students and parents to understand that writing itself is how we do our thinking, rather than merely reflecting thought.  Or in the immortal words of Joan Didion: “I don’t know what I think until I write it down.” We can all think of times when we started writing in one direction and changed course as our putting something down on paper or on the computer screen showed us elements we hadn’t seen before. This is one of the reasons that it’s so important for students to write their own first drafts and not rely on artificial intelligence; when they do this, they fail to truly understand what they are writing about. 

Many of us can recall when we were in math classes and teachers said “show your work.”  In our exasperation, we may not have understood why it was so important, particularly if we got the final answer right. To explain why we need to do this,Mr. Mertz offered a thoughtful response: “In mathematics, it is tempting to think that getting the correct answer is the most important part of solving a problem. While the answer certainly matters, the process used to reach that answer matters even more. Clearly showing each step allows students to demonstrate their thinking, understand where they may have made a mistake, and build strategies for solving increasingly challenging problems. When students show their work, they make their thinking visible. In the process of arriving at an answer, a teacher can see what a student understands and what they may need help with. More importantly, students can look back at their own work and identify what worked, what didn’t, and how they can approach a similar problem differently next time. Their mistakes become opportunities to learn rather than simply wrong answers. Showing work also develops critical thinking skills, perseverance, and confidence. Challenging problems rarely have a one-step solution. Students who learn to break a difficult problem into smaller, logical steps become better equipped to tackle challenges not only in mathematics, but in many areas of life. Quite often, students work collaboratively in the classroom to solve complex problems. When they show their thinking clearly, their classmates can better understand their approach, ask questions, offer suggestions, and build upon their ideas. This teaches students how to communicate, listen, explain their reasoning, and work effectively as part of a team. Ultimately, showing your work is about much more than satisfying a teacher’s requirement. It is about learning to think clearly, communicate effectively, learn from mistakes, and persevere through challenges.The answer shows what you know. The work shows how you think. Both matter. Always.”

Both Ms. Hall and Mr. Mertz eloquently explain why the journey along the way is just as important as arriving at the final destination.  Students need to understand that the process of thinking things through, going in different directions that may not pan out, and building on what they have previously learned is as integral to their long-term growth and development as getting the right answer. Ultimately, we want them to know that as the old proverb goes, “anything worth doing, is worth doing well.”