1. There is typically a positive correlation between effort and results.
2. Success in high school has surprisingly little to do with how smart you are.
3. Don't accept an opinion just because it is the first one you learn.
3a. Don't discount an opinion just because it contradicts the first one you learned.
4. Make sure that you don't confuse what you know with what you think you know.
5. It is perfectly okay to not know things, as long as you don't stop there.
6. You should make it a habit to question what you think you know and believe.
6a. Changing your opinion about something important, especially when you are faced with new information, is not a sign of weakness.
7. It is okay to disagree with part of something and still agree with other parts.
8. Whenever you strongly disagree with something, find at least one part of it with which you can agree.
8a. And vice versa.
9. Recognize the assumptions that hide inside generalizations that are masquerading as facts.
10. A good ratio is 75:25. ::listening:speaking; ::thinking:reacting. (These should also be done in this order.)
11. If you ask your "smart" friends whether or not they studied for the test and they say "no" they are probably lying to try to look cool.
12. Everyone has something worthwhile to say; some people choose to say other things instead.
13. Treat everyone how you would want the most important person in your life to be treated.
14. Few absolutes exist.
15. No, you probably won't ever need to know this in the "real world" even if it is on the test. Now that you know that, what you do next is the real test.
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I think these are good for all of us to remember. 7 and 8 especially as we are in the midst of a political season in which extremism in any direction is touted as a virtue. I even read something today about setting up pen pals between children in red states and blue states. It makes me ill to think we are really so divided that such bridging activities are necessary for our children in the hope that the next generation will be kinder to one another.
I hope you have a great year and your students learn these lessons well!
6a and 7 are some of my favorites for encouraging class discussion!
Yes!