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I could not write yet again about the absurdity, insanity, and sadness of the decisions our lawmakers have “approved” to support a presidential run. And how a particular candidate has used the fight against “wokeness” to boost his national profile amid a national discussion of how racism and history should be taught in schools.
I needed a break.
But I then heard this week how Florida’s public schools will now teach students that “some Black people benefited from slavery because it taught them valuable skills.” I became apoplectic and wanted to write all over that topic. But I will temporarily put it off to continue a tradition and because – I needed a break.
Each year, I give a middle-school student space in my column to answer issues of importance as they transition to high school. I had given one student the column in the past, but by mid-week of this week’s deadline, I opened it to many to see what I would receive. The response was overwhelming. Some responses were written 100 percent by parents, which were discarded. I highlighted key content, editing for grammar to ensure continuity of context.
THANK GOODNESS
Students were not discussing mindless issues of aforementioned politicians and presidential candidates, but instead, they submitted insightful thoughts on their personal change. And considering the current youth mental health pandemic that has engulfed our kids, it was nice to see a sense of self-awareness.
Below are comments from public, private, and home-schooled middle school students.
PUBLIC SCHOOL
● “Waking up should be a blessing every day, but for many it is not, I saw more depressed students than my first two years. I have learned to come to terms with dark thoughts that have burdened me for so long. I have learned that it is ok to have a bad day or even a week, that it’s ok not to love yourself all the time the way you should, it’s ok to be scared of what your future has in store, and it’s ok to feel anything that you think. Because even in the darkest days, I learned to look up and find a speck of light because, in the end, things do work out.”
● “I want to remember all I accomplished this year, even if the accomplishments were something others did as well. There is consistent pressure from parents on high-achieving students to get straight A’s as a bare minimum in education as well as joining many extra-curriculars and earning awards. I overlook these accomplishments as something that is expected of me and that I must achieve, which is an unhealthy mindset.”
● “It’s been a rollercoaster, but my biggest challenge was juggling all the responsibilities. There weren’t enough hours in the day between classes, homework, extracurricular activities, and trying to maintain my social life; it felt like constantly running on a hamster wheel. Whenever I crossed one thing off my list, two more would appear. It was sometimes exhausting, overwhelming, and frustrating, but worth it since it made me happy.”
PRIVATE SCHOOL
● “I’ve learned how to better deal with problems that have been bothering me for as long as I can remember. I don’t want to get too specific, but at the beginning of the last grading period, I was in a pretty bad place and didn’t know how or if I could get out of it. But after some time, support, and a self-help book that worked better than expected. I’ve become much more comfortable in my skin. The problem I was struggling with was one that no one else could fix. Friends could help me through it, but I had to be the one to make the lasting changes, and now I know that I can do that for myself.”
● “I’ve found that my class’ burnout this year seems particularly bad. My average test scores decreased as my sleep did. Many people sacrifice sleep for studying, leading to more burnout in the long run, especially by the end of the year. Because of the constant pressure, sometimes students have no choice but to sacrifice their sleep for grades, especially while involved in other activities.”
HOME SCHOOLED
● “Something I would like more of is flexibility and free time. I had my schedule jam-packed with plans almost every day. I always needed more flexibility to make last-minute plans because everything was already written out on the calendar and scheduled for me.”
● “I’ve noticed that myself and many of my friends in schools have all been suffering from immense pressure to succeed and be the best, which, unfortunately, creates a lot of competition among ambitious students. It is not that it comes from each other, but rather pressure parents put on us to be better than others.”
It sounds as if some of these students need a break.
This column is by Ritchie Lucas, Founder of the non-profit, The Student Success Project. He can be reached by email at ritchie@studentsuccessproject.org and on Facebook as The Student Success Project.
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