I would like to dedicate this blog entry to all you, kids, out there... yes, to all of you especially those who get easily frustrated and discouraged by the low grades they receive in school. Well, let me tell you one thing: Sure, grades are important, but your future doesn't wholly depend on what your card shows.
Let me then share with you this article, When You're 'Not Smart Enough,' which a colleague of mine shared with me a long time ago, and which I have never failed to share with my students to inspire them and to empower them.
1. Don't label yourself according to your grades. They measure how well you do things, not your value as a person - or even your intelligence. (It's a fact that some intelligent people don't do well in school.) And getting all perfect scores on all your exams doesn't make a student a better person than someone who gets a merely passing mark.
Besides, the abilities that grades measure are very few. Grades rarely show your ability to make friends, your knack to think up new ideas, or to solve problems in real life situations, or to take initiatives - all of which are important for general succes in life.
2. Learn about yourself as you go - and build on your strengths. Some people remember best the material they read; others remember best the lessons that they hear; still others learn best through discussion and hands-on.
Think about the way you seem to pick up things most easily, and look for ways to put your strength to work in all your classes. For example, Diana realized that she learned best through stories. When she began to think of History, a subject she disliked, as a series of stories about people and what they had done, her History grades improved.
3. Concentrate more on learning and understanding the lesson than getting a high score. Aim to learn. Some people can recite a whole chapter of a book or a long poem from memory, but when asked to explain it, they can't! It's because they only memorized but never understood it at all.
4. Learn from your mistakes as well as from your successes. When Dennis gets his graded exams back from his teachers, he goes over all the mistakes again, looking for the correct answer in his notes and in his books. This way, his mistakes help him remember what is right.
5. Develop non-academic interests to balance out your life. Sports, church assignments and extra curricular activities such as drama guild, glee club, or school band, can develop your other talents. Such activities provide new friends and teach you more about yourself and your strengths. When you have interest outside of school, you are able to lead a well-rounded life. People who've made a name for themselves after leaving school will tell you that what you do outside the classroom is very important too.
6. Most importantly, put God into the picture. The Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and learn not from your own understanding. In all ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed." Ask Him to help you make the most out of school. Make every effort to do your best and then leave the results with Him. He cares about your future and He cares about you even more than you do.
Let me then share with you this article, When You're 'Not Smart Enough,' which a colleague of mine shared with me a long time ago, and which I have never failed to share with my students to inspire them and to empower them.
1. Don't label yourself according to your grades. They measure how well you do things, not your value as a person - or even your intelligence. (It's a fact that some intelligent people don't do well in school.) And getting all perfect scores on all your exams doesn't make a student a better person than someone who gets a merely passing mark.
Besides, the abilities that grades measure are very few. Grades rarely show your ability to make friends, your knack to think up new ideas, or to solve problems in real life situations, or to take initiatives - all of which are important for general succes in life.
2. Learn about yourself as you go - and build on your strengths. Some people remember best the material they read; others remember best the lessons that they hear; still others learn best through discussion and hands-on.
Think about the way you seem to pick up things most easily, and look for ways to put your strength to work in all your classes. For example, Diana realized that she learned best through stories. When she began to think of History, a subject she disliked, as a series of stories about people and what they had done, her History grades improved.
3. Concentrate more on learning and understanding the lesson than getting a high score. Aim to learn. Some people can recite a whole chapter of a book or a long poem from memory, but when asked to explain it, they can't! It's because they only memorized but never understood it at all.
4. Learn from your mistakes as well as from your successes. When Dennis gets his graded exams back from his teachers, he goes over all the mistakes again, looking for the correct answer in his notes and in his books. This way, his mistakes help him remember what is right.
5. Develop non-academic interests to balance out your life. Sports, church assignments and extra curricular activities such as drama guild, glee club, or school band, can develop your other talents. Such activities provide new friends and teach you more about yourself and your strengths. When you have interest outside of school, you are able to lead a well-rounded life. People who've made a name for themselves after leaving school will tell you that what you do outside the classroom is very important too.
6. Most importantly, put God into the picture. The Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and learn not from your own understanding. In all ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed." Ask Him to help you make the most out of school. Make every effort to do your best and then leave the results with Him. He cares about your future and He cares about you even more than you do.
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