Philosophy of Education (K-5)

I am starting to prep for the new school year that begins in just two weeks. I was reading through the introductory pages of TOG and came across this:
"Diligence, cheerful obedience, persistence in the face of difficulty, follow-through, and a general delight in a job well done will carry your child far in any career he may choose. As family life progresses, as more and more children enter the academic years, these character traits become essential to your ability to conduct school!"
These are definitely traits that I want to instill in Theresa and John; I will be working on these over the next few years.. I've not done such a good job on some of these with some of my teens.