Alice L Erickson
Professor Wentworth
English 111
20 October 2012
Although many students strive for educational success, not all are able to meet strict
guidelines that have been provided by today's educational institutions. Unfortunately, students
are not given equal opportunities to succeed; socio-economic factors, educators, and learning
environments all differ from student to student. Does success derive solely from the
responsible, self-motivated student? Society tends to rely on the individual to succeed, but, as
Malcolm Gladwell points out in his analogy Teachers and Quarterbacks, “what matters more
than anything in predicting professional success is the quality of the learning environment that
the quarterback is drafted into, not the quality of the experience he was drafted from.”
(Gladwell 3) Educational institutions must adapt to meet diverse learning needs.
Professor Wentworth
English 111
20 October 2012
Although many students strive for educational success, not all are able to meet strict
guidelines that have been provided by today's educational institutions. Unfortunately, students
are not given equal opportunities to succeed; socio-economic factors, educators, and learning
environments all differ from student to student. Does success derive solely from the
responsible, self-motivated student? Society tends to rely on the individual to succeed, but, as
Malcolm Gladwell points out in his analogy Teachers and Quarterbacks, “what matters more
than anything in predicting professional success is the quality of the learning environment that
the quarterback is drafted into, not the quality of the experience he was drafted from.”
(Gladwell 3) Educational institutions must adapt to meet diverse learning needs.