Success
Being a junior at New Trier High School, I have had plenty of time to grasp the true values which the students and parents hold. Grades, that is. Followed by what classes you take, what levels you’re placed in and of course, your GPA. Why are these small details so important to our community? That is the recurring question I have been asking myself for the past three years.
New Trier’s institutional motto says, “to commit minds to inquiry, hearts to compassion, and lives to the surface of humanity.” Although I do not disagree that our school follows this, I do believe that we struggle to meet its full significance.
Instead of asking questions, our students live each day with certainty of how they think their future SHOULD pan out. Our students stress about their schoolwork due to the daily pressures they face from parents and peers.
Students are under the impression that if they don’t take AP classes, have a GPA over a 4.0, or get a 30 or above on their ACT that they will not have a successful future. “Succesful” in their eyes meaning having a “good” job. New Trier’s students’ definition of a “good” job is one that is high-paying.
Having a job that lets you do what you love doing is what I call a good job. I believe being happy with the way you live your life is the greatest success a person will ever know.
So, what do you think? Is having a high-paying job the equivalent to having success?
New Trier’s institutional motto says, “to commit minds to inquiry, hearts to compassion, and lives to the surface of humanity.” Although I do not disagree that our school follows this, I do believe that we struggle to meet its full significance.
Instead of asking questions, our students live each day with certainty of how they think their future SHOULD pan out. Our students stress about their schoolwork due to the daily pressures they face from parents and peers.
Students are under the impression that if they don’t take AP classes, have a GPA over a 4.0, or get a 30 or above on their ACT that they will not have a successful future. “Succesful” in their eyes meaning having a “good” job. New Trier’s students’ definition of a “good” job is one that is high-paying.
Having a job that lets you do what you love doing is what I call a good job. I believe being happy with the way you live your life is the greatest success a person will ever know.
So, what do you think? Is having a high-paying job the equivalent to having success?
Hello, Amanda! My name is Ms. Blair and I have been observing your classroom for the past few weeks. I will also be student teaching in your class this winter. I look forward to getting to know you and your classmates throughout this school year!
ReplyDeleteMy own high school was radically different from New Trier, so the amount of emphasis students place on academic success was shocking to me when I first came here. Your post has me thinking about how we define success. Can the meaning of "success" differ based on the community you're in? How might an individual's definition of success compare to a community's definition (e.g. New Trier, Winnetka, the North Shore) or our society's definition?