THE OPTIMISTIC FUTURE In November, when the sky is gray and the weather is getting colder, supervising our Middle School breaks might seem less than appealing. Instead, being outside during a lunch break energizes me and leaves me feeling uplifted and optimistic about the future. Standing in the middle of our sports field, I can see Middle School students playing soccer, walking together in small groups, laughing about a joke their peers shared with them or chatting about the upcoming weekend. Looking around, I see a group of young people interacting with each other with such positivity and a spirit of collegiality that there is no way I can do anything but smile when I reflect on what the future holds for these youth.
At Aberdeen Hall, we are prepared for the future. Teachers tell us what to expect and help us develop positive work habits. They give us all the information we need to succeed, and they teach us life lessons. Now that I am in High School, I look at difficult assignments as a challenge to conquer, and instead of giving up in the face of adversity, I
For every student, there is a progression that occurs as they take steps towards their goals. It isn’t always smooth sailing, and students often experience challenges along the way. At times the future looks uncertain, and the best way for students to prepare themselves for the unknown is to develop the skills
I recently had two students stop into my office to ask me some questions about an assignment they were working through. When I reminded them that as a humanities teacher, my professional expertise lay in areas outside of the math problems they were struggling with, they were confident that we could
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know I can reach out for support. I believe that I can have success, and I know that I have the strategies I need to push through when things get tough. My time in the Middle School helped prepare me by teaching me the skills I need to be an independent learner.” Ciro Bertolutti - Grade 9 student and MS alumnus
and mindset that allows for flexibility and adaptation. For the students of Aberdeen Hall Middle School, the trick is approaching the sometimes bumpy path towards the future with optimism. In our Advisory class recently, students were reflecting on the values which Aberdeen Hall espouses. A small group of grade six students were talking rather enthusiastically about how optimism plays a part in their success in learning and growing. One student in particular became very excited and burst out with the exclamation that, “Optimism is what you feel when you know that
even when you fail, you can still be heading towards your goal.” For this student, and the others in the group, there was a recognition that small incremental improvements could help one to reach greater heights, and that mindset made set-backs and challenges seem surmountable.
