My Dear Bright Shining Stars

So, one of the tasks on my to-do list this week is filling out these teacher reference forms for each of the Year 12 students I've been teaching, all in order to help them with the process of applying to fancy schools with fancy scholarships next year, and one of the questions on this reference form asks me to predict what each student's final mark will be when they finish this long, intensive two-year course at the end of the next academic year. As I was sitting there, yesterday evening, struggling to figure out how I could possibly predict the grade of a kid who is still figuring out life and school and what it all means, I couldn't help but write (in typical L fashion) a letter to this fabulous group of students who have managed to wriggle their way right into my heart. Many of these students are bumbling, busy activists in the making, who, in spite of their brilliant minds and fiery opinions, are almost always drowning in deadlines, neglecting assignments, taking on too much, and forgetting that not everything can be a priority (sound familiar?).

Here it is. I hope, both for them and for you, that the intent of this letter, and the heart behind it, is clear.

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Hello everyone.

Many of you have been asking me about your predicted grades. It’s tricky trying to predict what your grade will be at the end of not this academic year but next year. I am filling out the sheets as we speak, but wanted to give a general comment to the group about the predicted grades (and maybe life in general).

Here’s the deal: while I can sit here and predict your grade based on your "potential", the truth is that, for many of you, your actual grade, at the end of next year, will be very much determined by your work ethic, by your willingness to do whatever’s necessary to fully live up to that potential. I am sure many of you, if you do just a teensy weensy bit of reflection, will realize that maybe you haven’t always put your best effort into each and every assignment (in this class and, I’m guessing, probably in others). For fear of giving you a message you have already heard before, let me say this: that success, ladies and gentlemen, is much much much more about hard work than it is about natural charm, wit, beauty, people skills or above average intelligence. If you want to make it in this world, like, really make it, and be successful in whatever it is you choose to do in your life, hard work will make ALL the difference.

I realize that you often feel crushed by commitments on all sides- obligations with school and family and friends and volunteering and hobbies, but good time management, good organization, an awareness of your values, and a commitment to hard work make up the key difference between where you’re at now and where you want to be. Some of you are already discipline superstars- you hand everything in without your teachers needing to chase you, you ask for extra help when you need it, you do all the reading that’s suggested, but let’s admit it folks, most of us could take it up a notch, right? Remember that the kind of work you hand in, and your general attitude towards life and school, is a reflection of how you view yourself. Some people might say, “Oh, I didn’t do my best because it wasn’t important” or “It wasn’t worth a lot of marks,” but the truth is that if you have any self-respect, if you value excellence and integrity, and if you really want to be the kind of student, person, global citizen that this school is all about (and, more importantly, the type of person who makes a difference to this world), your “best” needs to be evident in everything you do.

I know that’s hard to do. Believe me, I know. But the quest for that, the path towards success, a path that is long and complicated, starts now. The sooner you figure out how to balance everything, how to “bring it” each and every day, how to live and work and study deliberately, making choices about how you invest your time and energy with your values and goals always in mind, the better. Learn it now, rather than two years from now when you just realized you have to read 500 pages for your final exam in Neuropsychology or Lingustics and the Mind or whatever crazy courses you’ll be taking in university. Because then, life is going to be more complicated academically, socially, financially, philosophically, (romantically). Get a headstart now.

I speak from experience. I, too, like many of you, was a naturally good student. My average was often other people’s best, and I rarely pushed myself to really work hard. My marks were good enough so why bother, right? The truth is that it isn’t really about the marks, or even what the marks mean. It’s about getting to know yourself and where you fit in this world, and what you want out of life, and what you need in order to get what you want, and it seems that this predicted grade could be your ticket to all that. But really, when it comes down to it, it’s about recognizing that there is very little difference in the attitude towards being the best student you can be, the best basketball player you can be, the best musician you can be, the best friend you can be. It all comes back to the same things: respect for yourself, respect for (and awareness of) the people around you and how your actions and words impact them and reflect you, and respect for the process, for the gift of learning, for the gift of being here now in this cool school with these cool people. And the truth is that you get so much more out of your classes, out of your relationships, out of everything, when you give your everything.

So, why am I saying all this? Because most of you, in my short time here, have given me these beautiful glimpses of what you’re capable of, either in your written assignments or in class discussions or in conversations we’ve had one on one, so I KNOW what you’re capable of. I know what brilliance is lurking there right beneath the surface begging to be coaxed out. I know what special people each and every one of you are. For some of you, you bring it every single time- that brilliance is constantly shining; you’re on fire- but with many of you, now, at this point, they remain glimpses. And here I am, with my predicted grade sheet, trying to decide if you are a student who is committed to the glimpse, who wants to show more, who wants to shine bright always, but still sometimes struggles to figure out how to balance everything, or how to be consistent, or how to give your best to everything you produce even when so many people are asking so much of you, OR I’m wondering if you’re someone who is today (and may still be next year) satisfied with just squeaking by, with giving just enough to keep the teachers off your back, someone who lets a decent mediocrity get in the way of achieving your best (and maybe that’s not about laziness at all but because you’re confused or dissatisfied or distracted or homesick or tired…who knows). And then, of course, there are also some of you who don’t even realize yet what you’re capable of, who underestimate your potential.

So, that’s where I’m at- looking at you and your work and trying to figure out how badly you want it- success (at least in a quantitative form- we could debate the whole idea and meaning of success some other time), a future, change, experience, life, learning, fullness. And really, in the end, what I hope is that you are motivated by your own best, by an intrinsic desire to be all you can be and learn all you can learn, more than by a silly little number on a page, but for now, all I get to give you (aside from this bit of a “You can do it, so please do” speech) is a silly little number on a page.

Basically, I just desperately want you to realize how awesome and special and bright you are, and then I would love for you to humbly and boldly step out into that awesomeness, to embrace your full potential, with open minds and a willingness to work hard, so that you can be your best whenever it counts, which is each and every day.

Okay, that’s it, my lovelies. It has been a pleasure working with all of you. I give you a great big group hug, thank you for teaching me, and I look forward to seeing what extraordinary things you guys accomplish in this big ole crazy world of ours.

All the best!

LKS