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Tuesday, November 12, 2013

What Great Students Do Differently: Resolve

For the second installment of this blog series, I have a guest blogger. Ms. Seaton has agreed to write about one of the things that she sees great students do differently. It is strange how the universe works that I would get around to posting this today considering I spent the entire period talking about this exact topic in all of my junior/senior level courses today. What Ms. Seaton has written here sums up very nicely the point I was trying to get across in class today. Enjoy.

What do great students do?
They resolve to succeed. Great students have well-thought-out plans for the future and enough self respect to consider themselves worth the work to achieve their goals - no matter what stands in their way. They realize that their education is not just for them but for their future family and life. Great students understand how their education becomes a building block and foundation for what they want in the future. What kind of lifestyle do you want in the future? Great students have contemplated 20 years down the road.
They have the resolve to not waver when life throws a curve ball - no matter how large or how fast. They get themselves back on track or adjust their goals as necessary. They have the patience to see their goals through no matter what might stand in their way. Great students will always turn all their assignments in because of how it makes them feel accomplishing yet another step towards their goals. Not turning in assigned work is never a thought - for they won't allow themselves to fail. They don't want to let themselves down.
When great students see others are messing around in class and not realizing the importance of the message, they are motivated even more to achieve and grow from the spot they are in. They are in tune with the teacher, to learn the material that is being presented to them and more importantly - how they can use it to excel in the future.

They are emerging as a leader of their own destiny and are starting to affect their own families' future…..however they won't realize this until a lot later. Great students know what resolve is. They are focused on their future and will fight for their dreams.

30 comments:

  1. I think the reason teenagers have a hard time grasping that they need to have resolve in the things they do is that many parents don't take the time to refine that desire to learn and continuously learn. There was a time that I had that desire stripped from me because my parents didn't want me asking questions and my brother is still like that now. The only reason I came back from that state is because I loved to write and still do. I am resolute in my dream to become a published author, famous or not, and sometimes I let my writing take over my life and don't do my homework on time.

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  2. I think you are correct. These things are skills, and skills must be learned and mastered.

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  3. I tend to goof off in class and at my house instead of focusing on my work to get me to a better place and to excell in my work. I need to get my head on straight and focus more on my future. I want to be successful and do the things I want to do but I need to not let my life get in my way of my future.
    Mariah

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  4. In my opinion, I feel like a great student isn't necessarily the smartest kid in class or the one who gets the best grades, but it's the people that actually try. Honestly, some people do struggle with certain topics, but they really try hard to go above and beyond and succeed.

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  5. You make an excellent point. You will notice that nowhere in any of the blogs in this series is intelligence brought into the discussion. Being a great student doesn't have anything to do with uncontrollable circumstances: intelligence, family background, wealth, popularity, etc. Being a great student is about the habits you bring to the classroom. Are you respectful? Are you willing to work hard? Do you do your best on everything and look for ways to get better?

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  6. I always try at everything I do, but sometimes I either get distracted and can't concentrate or I just don't have the motivation to do what I need to do. I need to start eliminating my distractions, and concentrate more on what I need to do. I can't let anything get in the way of me achieving my future goals.

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  7. I think that the kids that dont work hard and slack off dont look in the future. They live in the here and now and dont look ahead to see how there desions will play out. I think if the saw the future reasults the would make better desions.

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  8. i can admit i have slacked off in high school but i have bounced back and showed people what i can do with hard work i beileve if you say you cant do something it will adventually come true you will blame everyone besides your self and if you want to pursue your dreams you dont sit on the couch saying oh ill do my homework tommrow and then failing no you get up get positve and you will learn alot more

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  9. Great students are not necessarily the most intelligent in the classroom, but most likely the hardest workers. To earn good grades students must put in the work to achieve success. Often times, students with higher GPA's are not even the most intelligent; just the hardest workers.
    Chandler 2nd Hour

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  10. I have always been the kind of person that wants to resolve problems so I won't have to worry about them later. It just seems a lot easier so that you aren't hurrying up on the last minute to get something done. To get better in school you can't whine about getting homework. Just do it and get it over with.

    Biddle 1st Hour

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  11. What I think is that a good student doesn't always have to be smart it is how hard they work at getting better at the skills.

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  12. I think a great student works hard and pays attention class. A great student is someone who takes notes and participates in all class activities to stay with the teacher and not get behind.

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  13. I think that not all students have to be smart, but they all have the potential for that A+. Its all in their efforts and how much them believe they can do it.

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  14. I believe that in order to be a great student you have to want to be a great student. You have to want to do your best, and want to succeed in all that you do. I try my best to do all that I can do, and I hope that you feel I succeed in your class.
    Marissa Langworthy - Creative Writing and Composition (2nd & 3rd hour)

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  15. To be a great student, you actually have to try your hardest at everything you do. I try to do everything I can when I'm doing my school work, and try to succeed in your class and every other class I am in.
    - Jacob Buntain 2nd Hour

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  16. Throughout high school I have been nothing but a slacker and even when I was failing I did absolutely nothing about it. Things have changed, even though its only been for a few weeks I feel so much better about myself. Even outside of school I catch myself doing things productively and not laying around all day.

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  17. I have tried my hardest to be a "great student." No matter how tired I am, or whatever else I have going on, I make it a point every night to get my homework done. I am constantly thinking of my future and how my high school ways will effect it. I know when I grow older, I will have a very well-paying job to support my family and myself. I will never depend on anyone else for my needs. Although being a "great student" sounds great, it isn't the easiest thing. There are numerous nights I have broke down crying, saying I'm giving up, and just lost all hope in myself. I still get back up on my feet the next morning because I keep the "great student" ethic in my mind and keep myself on the right track for my future.

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  18. Being a "great student" is easier said than done. It's so difficult to understand and realize that nearly every thing that is being done in high school with affect our lives in ten years. I have tried my best to be a great student; I always have my homework done, though I do forget sometimes. I think that the majority of students are more worried about getting that A rather than learning the material. But that's what makes students different: the "great students" are the ones learning the matieral whereas the other students are just trying to get the passing grade.
    -Samantha Moore 8th Hour

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  19. Being someone who gets all of their work done is easy. Being someone who gets all their work done and does well on it is completely different. A lot of students blog about how fast they get their stuff done but in reality it doesn't matter at all because they do a bad job on it. I think the importance of school is to do work to your full potential and never cut things short. As long as you do that you will be considered a "great" student.
    -Dawson Myers

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  20. I really like this blog. I don't always classify myself as a great student, I try to be as often as possible. Sometimes life gets in the way and I don't always meet that goal. I would say more often than not, I am. I get my homework done in time and try to complete it the best I can. I do this not because I always want to, but because I know what I want to accomplish in my future and if I still around and do nothing, now, what am I really going to accomplish in the future? Nothing, if I don't have the motivation now in high school to get a one-page essay done, how am I ever going to find the motivation to write a ten-page essay or go to an internship everyday in college? I certainly don't want a one-page essay that I could've spent a hour to do it to get a better grade, cost me not being able to go to my dream college one day. I hope that more often than not I still strive to be a great student in the future.
    -Faith Fox, 1st Hour

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  21. Being a great student and actually being a great student is not easy to do unless your dad is superman. I try to be as great of a student as i can but at the same time i overwork myself. I try to do so much at one time and it is not easy to do.

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  22. Being a great student can be hard sometimes. I try to be a great student but with all the work i do at home and then school work i find it hard to do the school work and keep on it.
    Justin Stone, 1st hour

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  23. A great student is someone who tries in the class, studies for tests, obeys the teachers, pays attention, and follows direction. This is the key of being a great student.
    Josh Blue 7th hour War Lit

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  24. I think this is so true its unreal. Many people do not want to put in the work to do what they want to succeed so they chose the easy way but in the end it will never pay off as much cause they didnt put in the work and its nice to finally hear that.

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  25. Being a great student isn't necessarily hard, it all depends on whether or not you're willing to put in the hard work to become a great student. If you don't try, then why do you expect to succeed? You must put in the hard work and then you will be successful.
    -Blake German, 5th Hour

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  26. I dont think being a great student is just about getting good grades. I think a great student is someone who tries and never gives up. Being a great student involves working hard, and going in for extra help if you need it. That shows that you care and want to be a great student.
    Jackson Feltt-6th hour

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  27. not only great students think down the road and react on it i mean im not a very good student but i have a plan for my future some students aren't very good students but they have a plan

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  28. Students can be great students that care about there future and goals. But students need to realize that they have an education and goals to have a good future in life.
    Alexis Miller

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  29. I think a great student is someone who tries their hardest even if it's not the best. They don't have to get good grades or be the top in their class, but as long as they try, they have something

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  30. I haven't always been a straight A student. In the beginning of my high school career, I slacked off sometimes and receive a range of A's, B's, and C's. During my sophomore, however, I worked hard to get the grades that I currently have. Even in classes that weren't my best suit, I tried as hard as I could to get the best grade to my ability. I think I'm a pretty great student.
    - Lindsey Pitts, 6th Hour.

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