The Cold Winds On Night Games

As a young boy, I never truly put much into school. I put as little thought about college as well, but it took one moment that made me want the desire to succeed in my life and make something of it. Working for 12 straight hours in the middle of the hot sun, making minimum wage wasn't how I wanted to live. Going to multiple jobs and having to work all weekend, even during school occasionally was extremely difficult. This just gave me that extra drive to be more superior than anyone else. Yet, I never gave up and still pushed to be the best student I could be. Staying up late nights just to finish homework so I was able to make the best grade in class. The simplest moments in life made we want to be the best

Time and time again I've found myself declaring education as the central pillar of my growth and development, that of which has been consistent throughout my life and educational career. From the age of 8 I've attributed school and learning as a way to escape the outside world, both willingly, and as an involuntary coping mechanism; school was a refuge, a safe place where I could build healthy relationships and escape my worries. I felt valued by my teachers, and I was given opportunities to contribute to a community, and for the first time felt autonomous- and that I could control my future.

As students were forced into their growth of knowledge in elementary school and middle school by continuously being taught basics, in order to prepare them for high school and beyond, they get to gain their freedom and decide whether or not they want to meet their teachers’ marks in high school. Throughout the school year, there comes a time where students have to sign up for classes. By having this choice, students can decide on how they want to challenge themselves in the next school year. During my two and a half years of high school that I have conquered so far, I learned that in a classroom setting there are students who take advanced courses, enjoy the subjects that they chose to take, and try their best to get the best grades that they can receive, in order to prepare them for their future in adulthood. However, there are also students who do not try or realize the importance of the free education given to them because they do not have an interest in the subjects that teachers are teaching them or are just being forced by their students to attend school. Some teachers try their best to bring out the motivation in these students who do not yet see that education is power and freedom, but there are also teachers who ignore these helpless students that are blinded by the present things that affect them like popularity or living with the motto that “you only live once”, because these teachers do not have the inspiration in the

I didn’t know it at the time, but I believe because of my experience that set the foundation for the student that I am today. My brother started Kindergarten and my mother would drop me off at the babysitter so she could go to school. My first “academic memory” is remembering my mother sitting at the table saying she had homework, my brother not wanting to be bothered because he had homework. So when my mom didn’t have school and my brother had school together WE did homework. That became our time together, she didn’t send me to school, she created school at the kitchen table. She had books, worksheets, cards, and my own folder. My mother loves to remind me how I use to tell everyone that I didn’t go to preschool. Fast Forward five years, my friends were getting grounded for their grades and asking me why I never got in trouble for mine. My friends and I spoke with my mom and her reply was, “I believe if you do your best, try your hardest, and do everything you can to be the best you can- I don’t believe in punishing Bethany. Now, If Bethany didn’t try her best, try her hardest, do everything she could to get the best grades she can then we will look at why.” My friend looked at me and said “Oh, you're lucky! I wish I had your mom!” I never shared that all my grades were A’s, because I did my best, I tried my hardest and I did everything I could to get the best grades I could and I still do. If I need to study for 3 hours, If I need to seek out a teacher, plan a study group with friends or students who can help, I’ll do what I need to do. I appreciate the academic recognitions as they continue to motivate me. I am not afraid of hard work and I believe this will benefit the National Honor

From my days as a little kindergartener till now, I have always taken school very seriously and worked hard to be an honor roll student. I have never missed a day of school in my entire life and I have never failed to turn in an assignment. I have always been determined to be the best in my class and never give up. What drives me to work hard, are the lessons my parents have instilled in my mind at an early age. Since I was little, my parents have preached the importance of school and working hard for my future. Their lessons have taught me profoundly and I can’t thank them enough.

I remember when my dad would always encourage me and my siblings to be successful in school, because if you are successful you will make it to the real world. The real world is tough and people need

During my high school years, I can confidently say I have excelled in my academic endeavours. This success is partially due to my desire to learn. I am always intrigued by the lessons and concepts that are at the core of assigned work. My passion for learning has facilitated my learning process; because I am usually interested in the material that is being taught, my ability to retain and understand information is heightened. My academic success is also due to my drive to do the best I can. Since grade nine, I have demanded excellence from myself in all academic subjects. I strived to perform to the best of my abilities in the first high school years so that I would adopt that habit early and take it with me through the senior high school years. Finally, my academic excellence

believe School is a cornerstone to success, at the same time, I would like to know how

but I forced myself to work so hard because it was one of few constants in my life. Each new school meant new friends and by the time I hit middle school the cliques were formed and I missed out. I soared through school up until seminar classes in San Diego, because I had to put effort in. I was used to being ahead of everyone else and here I was challenged. That is when I learned my passion for

My parents never focused on my grades so I’d always have a loose structure to work with. Although they would make sure I was studying, they never showed me how or when. For most children, their childhoods are a test trial for the incoming test: college. Their youth served as a testing for different strategies and techniques that would help later down the road.

While reading Too Cool for School by Ellis Cose I have became aware of various aspects of my ‘schooling’ experience. I realized that I may not have had the best schooling experience, but I never pushed up against the system to get any better. Throughout my life I have attended over 10 schools some very high end others bottom of the barrel. Like Cose, I always knew my intellectual abilities, but I was always so dissatisfied with my situation I didn't make the best of it. Instead of soaking up as much knowledge as possible and making a lesson out of my situation I became complacent. I started to slack off and allow myself to become stagnant to what I knew my abilities were. I allowed myself to be a product of my environment when I should I have

Education is the key to success and without it you will not have a future. That is embedded in my brain. As a teenager you listen to your parents nag on you all the time about school and just think it’s easier said than done. But for me I lived through paradigm, my mom went back to school while raising us and working two jobs. She graduated from ASU with a 4.0 GPA and was honored and on the news because of all she’s done and went through in her lifetime. I have a difficult enough time doing my homework and going to basketball training. My mother went to school full-time, had two jobs, cooked for us, cleaned, paid bills, went to our games and still managed to get a 4.0. She always tells us if I can do it you can. Nothing in life comes easy you have to work for it, then you will be a success, if it is just given to you then you will never recognize the value of it.

Growing up my grandpa always always told me, “You are so lucky you get the privilege to go to school everyday and learn. Back in my day, school was not as important, and it has really affected my life now.” These words really impacted my view on getting an education. My home culture impacted my view of school culture because I value an education, my parents setting are me up for success, and learning life can throw anything at you.

When I was a kid, school for me was waking up early in the morning. I also have to study a lot in school, then after school I have to do homework. I remember my first day at school. My mom and dad, both were so happy and prepared but I was so nervous and cheerless. I didn’t like to wake up early in the morning for school , but as time flew by I started loving school which made me wake up with energy instead of tiredness. I began to enjoy the school as I made new friends and I got to know how it is like when you meet people out of your neighborhood. With my friends I had lunch together and study together. I started to understand what the purpose of the education system. Based on what I understood I think the purpose of education is really aimed at helping students get to the point where they can learn to be on their own. In this journey of education I had a lot of positive and few negative experiences,but the negative experiences also helped me growing. Positive experiences are my teachers helping me improve, and I improved more when I moved to the United States.

Take care of motivation, and learning will take care of itself. Learning comes from all forms of understanding. A person whether they are children or adults must take care of themselves in order to focus and maintain what is important. Self esteem in students is especially important when students are learning so when the self-esteem is high the motivation is high thus the learning will excel. One of the key responsibilities as teachers is to become a motivator. Motivation is how people move themselves to do an activity, job or anything that needs to be done. Motivation comes within the person and the interest and the spark of curiosity must be ignited, as teachers we gain motivation by rewards, and grades. Which is why motivation needs to be monitored constantly if we have the motivation than our learners will want to learn.