I recently had the opportunity to informally interview a family (whom I know) that had just completed an admission tour. Proctor is the third school they'd visited, with two more ahead. My greatest interest, of course is Proctor's points of differentiation, so I started with the innocuous "What do you think?" Mom took over right away, responding, "Your kids are soooooo busy. Everyone's got a place to go, and when they get there, everyone's got things to do."
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Funny that it takes a visitor to highlight that notion for me, who have been here so long I take things for granted. "They're working hard," she went on, "and their work is challenging, but I saw groups of students doing things that they knew they could accomplish with enough effort. "
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That's the secret, as if it were a secret. When assignments are perceived as doable, one is motivated to do them.
![DSCN3864](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3695/11344537413_c6f02bfd6e.jpg)
There is no unique grading period that ends next Thursday when we break for the holidays, but this first chunk of the winter trimester is a critical start to the term, and people are working hard!
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Algebra can be exhausting, but Stu is actually being industrious.
![DSCN3818](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7369/11344568953_dba0ed9c9c.jpg)