Graduates Are You Going to Make History or Become History?
Graduates Are You Going to Make History or Become History?
This is the question I asked juniors and seniors this past school year. Primarily to seniors as they moved closer to graduation. When I posed this question to middle schoolers, their responses were upbeat and positive. I explained that this school year was much like my “senior year,” as I began substitute teaching in 2019.
Based on my discussions with students this year, 2023 is closer to their idea of normalcy in school. I am happy to report that students once more appear to be optimistic about their futures and willing to acknowledge the importance and value of their respective schools and their teacher’s role in introducing them to high-quality instructional material to prepare them for the next chapter in their lives post-graduation. The students that have a desire to learn and succeed will be able to leverage their high school education like never before. For those that did not apply themselves and discarded the opportunity are in for a rude awakening sooner than they think.
Whether they realize it or not, students over the past four years have made history and laid the groundwork for those that follow them to high school and beyond. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to witness history in the making in education, as these students have taught me much about the future and how to apply resilience to overcome setbacks. My contribution has been to teach students life lessons, as high school is a place where you learn how to learn, make memories, and build relationships that may very well endure the test of time, due to connections provided by social media. Post-secondary is where they will learn to earn, and higher education is the place where dreams are replaced by possibilities, as hard work and determination are the drivers of personal success!
Hold on Tight to your Dreams!
That same message can be evidenced in Gibson County Special School District and if you walk the halls at Milan high school there is a wave of purple and school spirit as they look forward to the upcoming school year. High school sports have played a big part in bringing back school spirit and reminding rural communities of the importance of their respective schools. When I was in high school, vocational training was where students were placed to gain a skill as they were not perceived as being academically proficient to move forward in school. Community Colleges were being built to provide a different pathway and TCAT was not a thing in those days.
Today we refer to that as CTE or Certified Technical Education, which enables students to earn while they learn and gain skills, they can utilize it to make a living from a broad range of professional and technical careers. You can find evidence of that in Gibson, Obion, and Weakley counties in this area. I think we can all agree with Dr. Marlon King; “Things are getting better!” Class of 2023 go out there and make history.
“Great leaders are able to bring people along, and if you are only in it for yourself, you’ll have a hard time getting people to follow your lead.” ~May Bush
Don Polley | Education contributor
(Contact don@donpolley.com)
