Over my years of tutoring, I’ve noticed a concerning pattern: the perfectionistic mindset that the HSC preparation often instils in students. High school education, while well-intentioned, often unintentionally fosters this mindset in its push to engage students with the demands of the HSC. This environment of pressure can make students believe that anything less than perfection equals failure. As a result, they develop an all-or-nothing mentality, which stifles their learning process. This stagnation, where students sit at desks, staring at empty screens, discarding draft after draft in search of an unattainable ideal, is a wasted effort.
What schools often forget in their efforts to motivate student engagement is that learning is inherently iterative. A student who submits a “good enough” first draft can receive valuable feedback that guides further improvement. But the perfectionist who submits nothing learns nothing—failure doesn’t lie in not succeeding on the first attempt.
To counteract the perfectionist mindset encouraged by the educational system, I aim to create a tutoring environment that is free of judgment. While this may seem simple, providing a space where even imperfect attempts are seen as progress can be incredibly motivating. I also find that modularising tasks into smaller, manageable steps helps reduce the fear of facing an overwhelming challenge. We set time limits for drafting and focus on celebrating progress rather than perfection.
To re-engage a disheartened student, I encourage them to present their worst attempt. The surprise they experience, after consistently aiming to showcase the best work, helps them recognize that imperfection is an inherent part of the learning process. The paradox of education is that perfection-seeking actually undermines achievement. Students who approach learning as a progression of incremental steps, rather than fixating solely on the final outcome, demonstrate improved performance, cultivate a deeper understanding, and develop resilience that will serve them well beyond high school
Thea Macarthur-Lassen
