As we grow up, we gain new knowledge that helps us fabricate a different outlook on life. We all make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes change our life for the worse. However, the most influential people help us learn from those actions for the first time. Occasionally, it might be difficult to accept constructive criticism, but the advice is to help make a small change that could last a lifetime.
When asking many teachers and students what the most influential piece of advice they have been given is, many responded with ‘treat yourself how you want to be treated’ or ‘live life to the fullest.’ Even though both these examples might be influential to some, one teacher at LHS had significant recommendations. Maggie Peterson, an applied math and geometry teacher, gave some advice that helps others become aware of themselves.
“Focus on what you can control. We spend so much time worrying about things we have no control over, like other people. You can’t control their actions, but you can control your actions and reactions,” said Peterson.
Peterson feels that many students at LHS are too focused on the simple things and stress themselves about situations we can’t control. Meanwhile, Peterson tries to teach her students to control everything that they can and have trust in the situations they can’t. She wants the student body of LHS to be a welcoming environment for anyone who might be struggling while being mature about certain situations. Peterson explains how she understands that sometimes it might be difficult to regulate one’s emotions, but sometimes our reactions end up harming other people more than we think.
Throughout our lives, we tend to overlook the small victories that happen every day. Many students are too focused on the end goal when, from time to time, we have to take a minute to break it down and go step by step. It takes a long time to fully reach a point where you are satisfied with the work you have done and the person you have turned out to be. For many, that time doesn’t ever come, and it takes great courage to “stop and smell the roses,” said LHS teacher Charnelle Wooledge, a computer science teacher.
To stop and smell the roses means to take time to recognize the daily moments that bring us joy. Wooledge feels that many people at LHS need to listen to her message because high school can be stressful for many, and as teachers, she feels it is their job to bring a little bit of joy into the classroom and brighten students’ day.
Several teachers at LHS have acquired important lessons and ideals as they have lived life. Countless mistakes are made every day, some greater than others, but it is all a matter of how we shape ourselves into the best version we can be.
