Although I’m not a big fan of self-help style books, there is one I do go back to on rainy days called “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. Two of my favourite quotes from that book are:
‘Time magnifies the margin between success and failure. It will multiply whatever you feed it. Good habits make time your ally. Bad habits make time your enemy.’
‘Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. The same way that money multiplies through compound interest, the effects of your habits multiply as you repeat them. They seem to make little difference on any given day and yet the impact they deliver over the months and years can be enormous.’
Screenshot of a Y12 student’s Learner Portfolio website
My Year 12s are probably rather bored by now of me asking for them to complete their learner portfolios, but I have persisted long enough - and they have demonstrated the resolute perseverance I was hoping for - that it has become a habit for them. In the IB, students face what is possibly two of the most critical years of their lives. Small but consistent decisions they make now can unlock future opportunities that they may not even know exist yet. It’s not about the end goals. Often, when we reach the end goals, we think: okay - so now I’ve done that, what do I do next. Thinking about systems is the way forward. Systems continue and are adaptable and transferable so we can stay agile. This is why the learner portfolio - if used mindfully - is the biggest asset a student can have in English. I decided to use Google Sites for my year 12s. It looks smart, reduces the risk of losing your folder or your dog eating your homework etc. It allows students to take ownership of their learning and organise their thoughts and ideas in the best way for them. More importantly still, it is a living, breathing website and something to be proud of.
Screenshot of a Y12 student’s Learner Portfolio website
For example, at the moment we are practising for the Individual Oral and Higher Level Essays (which they will do next year). But as students already have an arsenal of information and reflections ready to go, they are a click away from that moment of realisation that they had when contemplating the failure of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman; or how Marjanne Satrapi felt alienated and liminal after leaving her monotheistic country’s totalitarian regime; or how John the savage in Brave New World - despite his best efforts - was doomed to fail in his proclivity to bring back traditional human values to the new order. Click. Scroll. Click. And the student has all of their - what would be elusive if they hadn’t written them down - ruminations at their fingertips. Ready to go.
Screenshot of a Y12 student’s Learner Portfolio website
So I hope that I am building the foundations on which they will eventually build their future success - habits that will put them one step ahead as they navigate the next phase of their academic and professional lives. Because small gains compound over time and aggregate to something substantial.
