. . . from PVS teachers
Compiled by 8th-Grader Jackie Padgett
Everyone in life has had a moment where they’ve needed some advice on a situation. I know I have. So, who else to get advice from than our PVS teachers? I asked all of them the same four questions:
- What advice would you give to the middle and upper-school students of PVS?
- What advice would you give your high-school self?
- What advice would you give your middle-school self?
- Is there any extra advice you want to share through our blog?
Let’s hear what wise advice our Palm Valley teachers have to spread, starting with none other than . . .
Ms. Zachik, the multitasked Blog and English teacher–
- What advice would you give to the middle and upper-school students of PVS?
“Get lots of sleep; read everything you can; enjoy the camaraderie of the classroom. This time goes fast.”
- What advice would you give your high-school self?
“Loosen up. Have fun.”
- What advice would you give your middle-school self?
“This time will pass. You won’t always be 7-feet tall, bespectacled, with braces and flat hair.”
- Is there any extra advice you want to share through our blog?
“The Bird on Fire is such an enchanting shared platform. Everybody should read it, get their face on it, their ideas, their opinions.“
Next, Mr. Satterfield, our Daily Journal history teacher, shares a short but insightful answer.
- What advice would you give to the middle and upper-school students of PVS?
“Identify what you can control and what you can’t, and prioritize your efforts accordingly.”
- What advice would you give your high-school self?
“Talk to more people. Your friends are great, but so is everybody else.”
- What advice would you give your middle-school self?
“Pretty soon you won’t even remember the mistakes you made, so go ahead and make them.”
Ms. Maguire, the English teacher, shares a kind response:
- What advice would you give to the middle and upper-school students of PVS?
“I would advise middle school students at Palm Valley School to give many sports and activities a try. You may think you are terrible at basketball, let’s say, but if you practice and play you will get better. It’s a small school and everyone’s participation is welcome and even needed, so why not put yourself out there and give it a shot? I would actually give the same advice to upper school students.”
- What advice would you give your high-school self?
“I am one of the lucky ones whose high school self had things pretty much together. I would definitely tell myself not to leave that project for Mr. Schultz’s class until the last minute, though. That was my first all-nighter and it was no fun.”
- What advice would you give your middle-school self?
“My middle school self was acutely self-conscious and, in sixth grade, in a state of low-grade misery pretty much all the time. I would tell myself not to bother with what the mean kids were doing and saying. I let them get into my head too much.”
- Is there any extra advice you want to share through our blog?
“It costs you nothing to be kind, so just do it. Whatever momentary ego boost you may feel after being mean to someone, even if you are allegedly ‘just joking,’ is not going to last. And friendships formed on the basis of excluding or targeting others can blow up in your face if you become the new target. If you are consistently kind to people, they will reciprocate eventually. If they don’t, why would you want to be friends with that miserable human being anyway? Be kind.”
Up next Mr. Hesson, our math teacher, shares his serious but humorous response–
- What advice would you give to the middle and upper-school students of PVS?
“Don’t conflate confidence with arrogance. If you have to look down on others to feel good about yourself, then your confidence is fake and easily shattered. True confidence is predicated on your ability to remain humble and to recognize that your talents and privileges exist to be shared, not hoarded.”
- What advice would you give your high-school self?
“The concept of giving my past self advice is kind of disturbing to me. We make mistakes in our lives, and we learn from them, and over the course of several mistakes we build a foundation of accumulated knowledge that is wisdom. The idea of forcing that wisdom onto a version of myself that never had to make the mistakes seems fundamentally wrong, like teaching a person to speak without teaching them the meaning of the words.”
- What advice would you give your middle-school self?
“Buy a bitcoin in 2010.”
- Is there any extra advice you want to share through our blog?
“Every once in a while, spend some time listening to music without doing anything else. No screens, no conversation, no distraction. Just close your eyes and listen.”
Ms. Castellano, who teaches science and loves plants, says, . . .
- What advice would you give to the middle and upper-school students of PVS?
“Be proactive, it will make you stand out in a positive way! “
- What advice would you give your high-school self?
“Do what you love and people will support passion. Be a crazy plant lady and grow all the plants!”
- What advice would you give your middle-school self?
“Don’t give yourself bad haircuts; do that and more! Express yourself!”
- Is there any extra advice you want to share through our blog?
“Life is too short to please others, pursue your own bliss!”
Mr. Griffin–GSA leader and excellent English teacher–says…
- What advice would you give to the middle and upper-school students of PVS?
“Teach yourself to not procrastinate. Believe me, it feels better to have something done early than to wait and be rushing because it’s too late. Also, the weight of an assigned task grows in direct proportion to the length of time you carry it. Do it. Get it done and off your mind.”
- What advice would you give your high-school self?
“Be yourself, for yourself.”
- What advice would you give your middle-school self?
“Start early determining who you are. Then you’ll be ready to be yourself, for yourself in high school.”
- Is there any extra advice you want to share through our blog?
“Experience as much as you possibly can at every opportunity.”
Ms. Schapiro, note-taking professional and history teacher, provides a thoughtful response:
- What advice would you give to the middle and upper-school students of PVS?
“Ask thoughtful questions. Don’t always look for the easiest answer or course of action: think critically and carefully. Don’t assume you know what other people are going through.”
- What advice would you give your high-school self?
“Don’t stop taking math after your freshman year. Don’t be so worried about what the popular kids think. Be proud that you’re so smart and recognize that you are NOT fat, in spite of what your mom thinks.”
- What advice would you give your middle-school self?
“Choose your friends more carefully and don’t believe everything everyone tells you. Don’t take everything so personally. Don’t kiss David Seidel when you’re going out with Scott Singer.”
- Is there any extra advice you want to share through our blog?
“No matter how important/life-changing/immediate EVERYTHING may feel now, I promise you it’s not. Try to focus on the things that will still be important to you in the future, as well, not just now. Also, don’t wear so much perfume/body spray: you don’t want people to know you’re coming from a mile away.”
Advice is such an important thing, and I think people shouldn’t be embarrassed or shy when needing help with a situation. If you ever find yourself needing advice, I would definitely recommend our PVS teachers. I think they’ve proven themselves to be pretty wise.
Jackie, I really enjoyed this article! You showcased our MUS teachers in a way that demonstrates their thoughtfulness and eagerness to inspire students to become good humans, not just regurgitate classroom content. Their advice is good for all stages of life and has inspired me today! Great idea for a post.