Perfection
The pursuit of perfection
should not be the goal in honors level mathematics. Talented students
who are always getting perfect scores on their work are not being
challenged.
Honors math students should be encouraged to work hard, be persistent, take chances, and not be afraid of asking stupid questions. The pursuit of perfection increases anxiety, not learning, as students play it safe and avoid taking chances.
We want our honors math students to avoid the Calculus Trap of racing through the standard course sequence without ever being challenged, in the hope of reaching Calculus sooner. We want our honors math students to be challenged by going deeper into the concepts we cover.
Honors math students should be encouraged to work hard, be persistent, take chances, and not be afraid of asking stupid questions. The pursuit of perfection increases anxiety, not learning, as students play it safe and avoid taking chances.
We want our honors math students to avoid the Calculus Trap of racing through the standard course sequence without ever being challenged, in the hope of reaching Calculus sooner. We want our honors math students to be challenged by going deeper into the concepts we cover.
