5 Messages Students Really Need to Hear

As a student in grade school, I remember having some really destructive teachers. I had teachers that reminded me of all the things they thought I couldn’t do or the things I couldn’t be.

Then I went to Westside High School. That school featured a collection of teachers and educators who cared for me with their words like no one else had. They gave me confidence in who I was and the things I could be.

As an educator, my number one goal for each student I work with is to instill confidence in them. When a person has confidence in who they are, they can do anything. Here are five messages I think students of all ages need to hear:

1- You are enough

There are so many voices, tweets, videos, posts and words flying at students all day every day. It is very easy for them to get caught up in the number of likes their last Instagram post got or what people are saying about them in the cafeteria.

Every kid needs to hear that they are enough. They way they are made, the way they operate, the way they are is enough.

2- It is ok to dream really, really big

I once told my 6th grade science teacher, Mrs. Ogle, that I wanted to be a professional public speaker because it was one of my favorite things to do. She looked at me perplexed and said, “You need to be realistic. How are you going to ever make money? What are you even going to talk about?”

Students don’t need that. They need to know that they can dream. They need to know that they can dream really big if they want to. What is the point of education if we are not going to inspire students to be the greatest person they can?

3- Effort over brains

In the end, hard work always pays off. In some way, it pays off every time. As presently constructed, the school system teaches students to get good grades and score well on standardized tests. The problem is that students and parents have allowed themselves to think that their grades and test scores are all that matter.

Students should know that work means something. They should know that more time spent on any task means they will improve. This is the first step to a growth mindset.

4- Read what you love until you love to read

Learning to learn is the most important life skills a person can have. If you can learn anything, you will never be out of a job and will always be able to pivot. Before you can learn to learn, you have to learn to read. Life-long learners often love to read.

I hated reading for much of my academic career because I was required to read boring literature chosen by my teachers. I learned to love reading in college when I could choose the books, authors, and topics I loved.

Every kid should know that they can find what they love reading and read as much of it as they want!

5- Do what makes you happy

There is a lot of pressure on students these days. Parents, social media, friends, hustle culture, you name it. I’ve seen former students be pulled in many different directions and it is always hard to watch. For many students, the follow-through with this is so difficult because it is so difficult to feel like you are letting people down.

Students need to know that, at the end of the day, it falls upon them to pursue their happiness. Mom may want you to be a doctor, but if you want to be a musician, go be a musician. You will not regret doing what makes you happy!

What other messages would you add?

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I taught in a traditional school setting for 5 years before entering my current role where I design curriculum, plan projects and motivate students to break all of the rules. I’m interested in change and finding the next set of large innovations to the classroom through the use of adaptive learning technology and AI. The world is rapidly innovating and it is my belief that schools must follow that trend. Connect with me on LinkedIn and follow me on Twitter to keep having great conversations.