Dear Students, What school forgot to teach you, a letter from your teacher
Dear Students, the things that we forgot to tell you while you were in school.
Your test score does not define you….
in fact no one cares what you scored on the PSSA’s, Keystone, SAT, or ACT. Really after filling out your college application (if you choose to do so) no one will ask you again. In fact, if asked, I couldn’t tell you the answer, I don’t remember, I don’t care, and my test scores have nothing to do with my success in life.
It’s okay if you’re not good at math, or you can’t identify the parts of speech in a sentence. Some of you may be great at math and English, which is wonderful. Some of you hate it, struggle with it, and don’t ever want to solve for “x” again. That’s okay.
Find out what you are good at, and go after it.
Know that just because you’re good at something, doesn’t mean that you should do it, nor does it mean that it will always be easy.
If you have no desire to go to college , don’t go. DO NOT just go to college because someone told you that that is the next step on the ladder that you’ve been climbing since kindergarden. College is great for some people, and for other’s it’s both a waste of time and money.
Stop searching for a safe job. ( here’s a secret, there is NO SAFE JOB)
Doing a job that comes with a steady paycheck, that you hate, IS NOT SAFE. You can lose any job. You will change jobs, you will likely even change careers. Go after what you love, what gets you fired up, what gives you purpose. That is the only safe job.
Back to things being hard even when you like them. Growth hurts. When you want a flat stomach so that you look hot at the beach, you workout, and it hurts, that’s how you know that it’s working. Life is the same way….. growth hurts. Your stomach will churn, you might want to throw up or cry, that’s not always bad. Feel it, acknowledge that you’re growing, and then take the next step forward.
When making goals, decide how you want to feel , and then do things that make you feel that way. Do not get caught up in getting a huge house, a fancy car, and being rich. You may get there and realise that it’s not what you wanted at all.
If you want to feel free, figure out what makes you feel that way, and then take steps everyday to get there. If you want to feel rich, then takes steps to what makes you feel rich, it’s different for everyone.
Do not be mediocre.
This is a hard one, as most schools and jobs try to make everyone mediocre. You’re going to have to fight. Be clear of your purpose and don’t compromise.
This one is for the ladies:
You are beautiful, enjoy it, embrace it, and don’t be afraid to be feminine. But that doesn’t mean that you have to put up with being hit on, winked at, or flirted with. You are as smart and as good as the men that you work with. You will likely be treated differently than your male counterparts. Stand up for yourself, stand your ground….. it will be uncomfortable…… do it anyway.
No one owes you anything. Not your parents, your friends, your teacher, or your employer.
If you make a mistake, own it, learn from it, move forward.
If you fail, by the way you will if you’re fighting to grow, own the failure ( don’t blame it on others), understand that failure isn’t bad, as long you learned, and keep moving forward.
Be kind to others always. You might not want to, you might think that it doesn’t matter ( it does).
Ask for help when you need it. Most people are actually pretty nice, want you to succeed and want to help you. But you’re going to have to ask, and then graciously accept what they offer.
Be grateful everyday, even if it’s a really bad day, find something to be grateful for.
Know that there are more people cheering you on, and hoping that all of your dreams come true than you will ever know.