Lori cook

When I worked in high-performing schools, the students were just as energetic as the students in low-performing schools. The biggest difference was not personality or energy levels. It was their ability to listen during instruction and, when needed, settle into deep, focused work. Moments of silence and concentration came naturally. In many low-performing schools I’ve worked in, those moments of deep focus are rare. There is often constant noise, interruptions, and more excuses made for disruptive behavior. Silence is treated as unrealistic, almost impossible. But silence is possible. And more importantly, it is necessary. When students take the SAT, they will have to test by themselves in silence. When students take the bar exam, they will have to test by themselves in silence. When students take the written exam to become a California Highway Patrol officer, police officer, contractor, or certified personal trainer, they will have to test by themselves in silence. And long before those tests, they will need to develop the ability to sit, focus, read, think, and work deeply without constant stimulation. That is reality. The barrier many students must cross to become the person they want to become often involves sitting alone with difficult material and concentrating in silence