The "Muntik nang Mag-With Honors" Awardees. To part of a class where majority of the students are academic achievers, it is hard not to be one of them. That is why I thought of giving this young guys with such recognition - for having a grade that had almost made them to the Honor Rolls, so that they could be motivated and be reminded that they could still improve and do better next grading period.
The Power of Positivity
In one of my homeroom session in
my STEM class advisory, I have discussed with them the importance of
self-leadership and self-direction, I asked them first how did they manage to
cope up with their failures and most of them said that they motivate themselves
to do better next time. And then I asked them “how” and then there was silence.
After a few seconds, one of them stood up and said “I usually think of things
that I did not do or things I did but is not sufficient for me to succeed.”
At that point, I shared with them
my own story of failures. Being a UP graduate I know my students think of me as
a very successful student, finishing my course with high marks – with flying
colors.
And so I started my story by telling them I have incurred a lot of
failing marks, and being in the “premier university”, it was really tormenting. There was a point during my sophomore years that I had considered shifting to a
course that has significantly lesser science and math subjects. I told the Guidance
Counselor that I could not handle the pressure and the difficulties in dealing
with such technicalities with these subjects (the Chems and the Maths... and the Physics as well). The GC asked me regarding my study
habit and I said “my strategies do not seem to work for me” and then she said
“you can shift to another course but your predicament might just happen again
unless you seek inside what you really want? It will be a matter of giving yourself the proper motivation to use your failures as stepping stones to
your success”. I left Vinsons Hall that day with a burning question to
challenge myself – “Do I consider myself a complete failure or a work in
progress?”
I eventually continue with my
course and after 5 years plus two years of residency (because of my thesis and
a few remaining subjects), I have managed to graduate with a BS Food Technology
degree and a truckload of learned life lessons.Then I said, "if I have done it... you can do it also." My class gave me a silent response though I have felt the beam of hope in their hearts through their eyes.
After that session, a few of my students approach me personally and began sharing their struggles in Calculus. One of them is a boy named Shan (not his true name). He was worrying then than he won't make it to the honor list because he had been performing poorly in his math subjects because he had been seriously affected by the problem in his family. He did not reach the average grade of 90 for the first semester. I talked to him in private after the distribution of cards. He burst into tears and frustrations. I told him "It is not yet the end. You just have to look at your failures as opportunities to become better. Use your present situation as a positive force to move you through the hardships you are experiencing now. You are not a failure. Me and your classmates will help you."
I believe, that short pep talk have brought a lot of difference to him. I witnessed how Shan drastically improved his performance not only in his Maths but also in other subjects. His other classmates also saw the change in him. So I made Shan a model to his other low-performing classmates and provided them the same pep talk. And towards the end of the second semester (just right before the ECQ) five out of eight, including Shan, have achieved what they have thought they could not achieve, and that is to be part of the Honor List. On the other hand, the other three greatly improved their average grades: two of them from 87 to 89, and one got 85 - a grade that has allowed him to stay in our school until next school year.
After that session, a few of my students approach me personally and began sharing their struggles in Calculus. One of them is a boy named Shan (not his true name). He was worrying then than he won't make it to the honor list because he had been performing poorly in his math subjects because he had been seriously affected by the problem in his family. He did not reach the average grade of 90 for the first semester. I talked to him in private after the distribution of cards. He burst into tears and frustrations. I told him "It is not yet the end. You just have to look at your failures as opportunities to become better. Use your present situation as a positive force to move you through the hardships you are experiencing now. You are not a failure. Me and your classmates will help you."
I believe, that short pep talk have brought a lot of difference to him. I witnessed how Shan drastically improved his performance not only in his Maths but also in other subjects. His other classmates also saw the change in him. So I made Shan a model to his other low-performing classmates and provided them the same pep talk. And towards the end of the second semester (just right before the ECQ) five out of eight, including Shan, have achieved what they have thought they could not achieve, and that is to be part of the Honor List. On the other hand, the other three greatly improved their average grades: two of them from 87 to 89, and one got 85 - a grade that has allowed him to stay in our school until next school year.
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