Shifting the mindset of complaining students

“Appreciate school.”  I tell our students. This sounds like a radical notion.  But, there are ways to shift thinking about school.

During a recent SAT class in Old Saybrook, I asked my new class “how many of you are enjoying the start of school?”  They collectively groaned.

I then asked if anyone could tell me the story of Malala.   A student from Old Lyme raised her hand and quickly summed up the inspiring tale of Malala, a young lady from Pakistan who was shot in the face due to her insistence that she attend school.

I next asked if anyone had read A Long Way Gone.  A student from East Lyme raised his hand and summarized the true tale of an African boy who escaped civil war and eventually was lucky enough to go to school in America.

Slowly, students started nodding their heads.  I guess going to school is not so bad. Gratitude goes a long way towards stopping complaining students.