Answer to the Brain Teaser:

Well done, you made it here! The real “winner” was the student who raised their hand and said, “I’ll win.”
Why? Because they understood the hidden rule — that success sometimes means seeing the logic beneath the words.

That kind of flexible thinking is what high-achieving students do instinctively, and is one of the corner stones of my work here at The Classic High School Teacher.

They don’t just listen — they interpret.
They don’t just memorize — they connect ideas.
They look for the “why” behind everything.

Why this matters for school performance

This tiny puzzle reveals something big about how learning works.
The students who thrive academically aren’t necessarily the smartest — they’re the ones who have built strong thinking habits:

✅ They pause before answering.
✅ They question what’s being asked.
✅ They organize their thoughts before they speak or write.

And here’s the good news:
Those skills can be taught.
They can be practiced.
And when they are — school starts to feel lighter, calmer, and more doable.