From the head

Attitude is an important word at Hyde School. We believe that a person's attitude is a critical factor in what they accomplish.  We also believe that attitude over aptitude is the right priority. Focusing on what a person can control—attitude, effort, and character—sets up their best opportunity to achieve success. Sometimes the deepest wisdom is expressed in old adages. One of my favorites speaks to the core principle behind attitude over aptitude.

                        Nothing can stop the person with the right attitude;

                        Nothing can help the person with the wrong one.

The valuation of aptitude over attitude is crippling our schools and families in ways that we don’t even realize. The bright kids know that they don’t really have to work hard, and the average to below-average students don’t believe that their efforts will be rewarded in a significant way. We live in an age when our entire country is concerned with test scores and national standards, and yet little attention is given to the rampant cheating done by all types of students in search of their precious As. How could we possibly believe we are inspiring genuine learning or attitude development in a system where our students do not believe their best efforts will be respected?

Most students want to learn. Many of them also believe that a high IQ or SAT score gives them at least a first-round bye in the game of school, regardless of their attitude. I have asked high school students across the country if they know students who do very little work and still make the honor roll. As one student said, “Sure, that’s the way it’s always been.” Many even point admiringly to the student who is able to get an A with little or no effort. Unfortunately, for many of these seemingly high-achievement students, life will require a different attitude for success. Will they be ready?

Growing up in a culture preoccupied with aptitude makes old patterns hard to break. What also complicates our job is the fact that achievement is actually a great thing. As parents, we want our children to achieve their maximum potential. As my children were growing up, the phrase, ‘Your child is so bright!” was music to my ears. As seductive as the aptitudes and talents of our children can be, their attitudes will be the foundation of their characters and will shape the course of their destinies.

At the corner of my desk sits a red leather sign that says, “Attitude is everything!”  Look around at the most successful people in our everyday lives. While they certainly have aptitudes that have contributed to their success, above all else, they most likely have the right attitude. If our children are going to fulfill the potential of their aptitudes and put their lives together, they, too, will need the right attitude.

And so will we. In our families, we can challenge off-track attitudes and celebrate the positive ones. We can work to improve our attitudes, the everyday little ones that get in our way, as well as the deeper attitudes that block our greatness. Make attitude everything in our homes, schools, and organizations.  In the words of Charles Swindoll,

                        The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is that every day we have a choice about the attitude we will take that day. We cannot change our past; we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way; we cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string that we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens and 90% how I react to it.

Laura D. Gauld '76

President