Are School Students of Senior Grades Being
Worked Too Hard?
— Are school students of senior grades (10-11) being worked too hard?
Has the pressure to succeed got out of control?
— Do you find yourself overwhelmed at times by the workload or
expectations? Do you worry about other students getting ahead of you?
— Do you get enough sleep? What about your peers?
— How is success measured in our school? How should success be measured
for senior grades students? Do you agree that many students today need “wiggle room
to find genuine passions, the freedom to discover true independence, the space
to screw up and bounce back”? Why?
(Vocab. Wiggle
room – slang – the opportunity to make alternative decisions or to pursue
other courses of action;
Screw up – slang – to muster or summon something; Bounce
back – slang- to return to a good condition)
SameTOY
We all do it — sometimes to be kind,
sometimes to get something we want (or avoid something we don’t want), and
sometimes just because we can. Recently,
an old friend of mine has said that relationships last only if we occasionally
lie. We were sitting, drinking coffee and arguing about the celebration of
Valentine’s Day in our country. These are the words, my friend told then: “Valentine’s Day is not a celebration of
truth telling. God forbid! Relationships last only if we don’t always say
exactly what we’re thinking. We have to disguise our feelings, to feint, to
smile sometimes when we want to shout. In short, we have to lie.” Do you think
he is right?
In
my opinion we all tell lies, and tell them shockingly often: Research shows
that on average in an ordinary conversation, people lie two to three times
every 10 minutes. (It makes you want to be completely silent for a day or two
just to throw off the statistics — but what about lies by omission?) And we lie
particularly often when it comes to love, because we care more about love than
we care about most things, and because love causes us more fear than most
things do, and caring and fearing are two of the most common reasons for lying.
— Do you think you lie two or
three times every 10 minutes, as the statistic quoted here contends? If not,
how often do you think you lie? Why, generally speaking, do you lie?
— Do you think friends, romantic
partners or your parents have lied to you? Can you remember particular
occasions? Do you think they were doing it to be kind, or for other reasons?
— Do you agree with my friend’s
opinion that we have to lie to maintain good relationships? Why or why not?
— Are there “good lies” and “bad
lies”? What examples can you think of to illustrate each category?
— Do you lie to yourself? How? Do
you think it helps or hurts in the long term?
— When do you think it is
especially important to tell the truth, even if it is painful?
sameTOY
When things aren’t working for you, what do you do? How do you try to overcome obstacles in the way of your success?
Obstacles are common parts of life that
can certainly cause feelings of depression and make individuals give up on
goals that they want to accomplish. The trick actually, is to never give up,
always try harder than you did the previous time until you achieve your goal,
however big it is. People who are really determined in what they are doing will
probably succeed if they keep trying harder and don’t lose determination. That
is one way to overcome obstacles. But if even with determination and resiliency
you are not getting the effect you desire, a change of tactics is possibly the
best choice. You should undergo self-examination to find exactly why you are
not reaching your goal and what is keeping you from reaching it. You could ask
yourself questions like: What am I doing wrong? How am I doing it wrong? Why am
I doing it wrong? These questions might make you get at the core of the problem
which will allow you to change you manner of dealing with obstacles and achieve
a better, more satisfying result. If you cannot distinguish the reason you
cannot overcome an obstacle, then just completely change the way you are
dealing with it and you never know if you find the perfect way to deal with
your obstacles. Another factor is always thinking positively and having a nice,
calm mood. If you are stressed out and feel pessimistic, your mind will be
disturbed and you cannot deal with the obstacle as efficiently as if you were
calm and positive about the situation. Determination and the fact of never
giving up, will help you achieve your goal and overcome obstacles if you are
truly poised to do so.
When I myself face the obstacles, I try to
be emotionally smart by thinking positively and believing in myself, all the
while not being stressed and staying in a calm mood. I try to be determined in
what I am doing and do not give up. If that doesn’t work I get to the core of
the problem and find out what exactly I am doing wrong by changing my means of
approach. This is how I deal with obstacles and how I think other individuals
should treat their obstacles too. By doing so they will achieve the goals that
they are determined to accomplish.
And what about you? What was a major
obstacle you faced in your life? How did you overcome it? In general, how do
you try to overcome obstacles in the way of your success? Do you typically look
for external reasons why things go wrong — such as blame other people? Or, are you ever willing to look at all
possible solutions, including ones that question your own biases and deeply
held assumptions? Are you able to be truly honest with yourself?
sameTOY
Research suggests that personal and expressive writing can be powerful. It can improve health, alleviate depression symptoms, boost memory and even increase happiness.
Now researchers are studying whether the power of writing — and then rewriting — your personal story can lead to behavioural changes and improve happiness.
The concept is based on the idea that we all have a personal narrative that shapes our view of the world and ourselves. But sometimes our inner voice doesn’t get it completely right. Some researchers believe that by writing and then editing our own stories, we can change our perceptions of ourselves and identify obstacles that stand in the way of better health.
- Have you ever written about the challenges you face in life? Do you write about your thoughts and feelings? Do you keep a journal or a diary?
- Have you found that writing about life has helped you feel better or helped make a situation or relationship more clear? Explain.
- Are you surprised by the results of the scientific studies about expressive writing? Why?
- Do you have other ways to express yourself and your thoughts? What are they?
sameTOY