Tips for Starting the School Year
Here's a letter that I wrote to one of my students, who was feeling anxious about the new school year. I hope that it can help *you* out if you're feeling the same way.
"I know starting the school year is stressful and I used to tell myself very year, 'This year will be different. This year I will do my homework and study for tests. I will care this year.' The fact was that I 'cared' every year, otherwise I never would have made those soon to be broken promises to myself every year. I did badly because I gave up on catching up and I gave up on myself. Anyone who is place in unfair situations in which 'game' is rigged, and they cannot succeed, will eventually figure out that the game is rigged and they can't win, so why try?
I am not going to give you false hope. I can not promise you As and Bs. But I have helped other kids feel like they are not alone, at times they had felt totally lonely and like giving up. They are not depressed about school. They see that they are not flunking out at school, but that plain and simple the school system sucks. They see that public schools often only do as little as they have to do, they don't do their BEST to educate all young people! They are also doing at least 2 to 3 letter grades better than when I met them. Because even though they know schools are wrong most of the time, they still don't want to quit and have to flop whoppers for the rest of their lives.
I can tell you that I have been where you are (without parents who care and without a mentor like me). I have learned a few things that have gotten me pretty far in life. I consider it my ethical and spiritual responsibility to pass on the knowledge I have gained. It is like I clawed my bloody way up a cliff with broken glass bottles set in the walls and barbed wire on top. And now I am floating on top, (like at the rock gym) and I can see so clearly... All the possibilities for you to get up the wall too.
I guarantee you won't get up like everyone else. Different is good. Why do we fall in love with a piece of art, music or a movie? Because it is UNIQUE. Never seen or heard anything like it! I am great at what I do, better than most because I got here differently than almost everyone in my peer group, and you will too... Because you will owe it to someone to show them how to get up the wall... And little by little we will get more of us up the wall until we get more control of it. Maybe we will build stairs, sand the broken glass down, or remove barbed wire... huh?
Have a good August and if you get nervous about school starting soon, remember...you have your parents on your side and you have your own personal can of whoppers... ME."