Exam Results

Background: I Will Not Let An Exam Result Decide My Fate is a spoken word by Suli Breaks. Suli is a spoken word artist that has created a multitude of poems with important social messages that challenge everything from the American dream to the hurt of social media. His spoken word about exams perfectly explains how hard it is to be successful in a hypocritical society, where our test scores seem to determine our fate. Suli has been on multiple TV interviews and is successful on YouTube as well. He shares his writing, favorite books, and articulately discusses his opinions on camera, even when improvising.

It's my junior year, which entails lots of big decisions, tests, and thoughts of the future - for me and for my peers. PSAT, SAT, and ACT exams loom ahead, and entrance exams and college applications aren't far behind either. Many kids will be applying to schools that hold the path to their dream career, and all that stands between them and reaching that dream path is doing well on the ACT. Or getting a 5 on an AP Exam. It's scary. Tests really can change our course in life, and many students find themselves taking a different path after high school because they didn't do well enough on the ACT to go to their dream school. Or their standardized test scores weren't high enough to take advanced classes in high school. They never realized effort trumps talent. They were made to feel unsuccessful simply because of a number from a test. 

In his spoken word about standardized tests, titled I Will Not Let An Exam Result Decide My Fate, Suli Breaks explains how hard it is to be successful when test scores have such an impact on our lives. Students are taught that college and getting a degree is the only and best option. Suli tells otherwise. And he addresses the students who don't score well on tests and are made to feel lesser because they don't test well. Just because you get a C on a test doesn't mean you don't have an A+ brain when it comes to art. Maybe your focus is math, not grammar, but it doesn't mean you don't have talents in a different subject. And in a society where education seems to dictate everything, Suli Breaks reminds us to not measure ourselves and others by exam results. Numbers can't represent people, and we must decide for ourselves to not let scores decide our paths. For many successful, happy students, this is all familiar. But for many more, Suli's words are a wake-up call, and those people are rising to decide their own paths, instead of accepting their test scores and mediocrity. Suli is a role model not only in this writing, but in many others. I encourage anyone reading this to go check out all his other work on YouTube. He's a talented, outspoken person that shares strong messages.

Stay awesome,
Claire

I Will Not Let An Exam Result Decide My Fate by Suli Breaks here.
More of Suli's work can be found on his YouTube channel here.

To This Day

Background info about this poem: To This Day is a spoken word or poem about bullies and the bullied, written by Shane Koyczan. Shane has also been recorded, and the poem was strung together with animations created by various artists. The video is backed by a quiet, minor song with string instruments. The author, Shane, has also written various other spoken words, but To This Day is his most famous work. He has given TED Talks centered around bullying, and his poem became so popular it has an app and website supported by Bullying.org, an organization supporting the victims of bullying who feel alone. The app has features that allow users to read the poem like a book, with clips of animation on each page and easily share lines that they like on social media platforms.

To This Day is seven minutes of an intense story about the experiences of Shane Koyczan, and those of the people he's met as well. He writes about himself, growing up as an overweight child. He also tells the story of a girl with a birthmark on her face. People marked her as ugly, and those innocent words had a long-lasting effects on her, even as an adult. He talks about an adopted boy who struggles with depression and takes various medications, which earned him nicknames and weird looks in school. The whole thing starts to feel dark and sad; it makes you realize how you've been bullied or how terrible it is that you've labeled people. For the lucky people who haven't been in a bully situation, Shane describes how hard it is to feel good about yourself when you hear whispered labels, or you are singled out for something that embarrasses you. And at the very end of the poem, is the light at the end of the tunnel. After all these stories of struggles and hurt feelings, he turns his attention from the bullies to the victims. He validates what hurt them, and then reminds them that they are still here, they've made it this far. They are still alive because they quit or let the words bring them to an end. His words take an uplifting turn as he tells all the victims that the bullies are wrong, and those labels are false words and to keep holding their ground.

In this particular poem, I admire Shane's ability to turn such a dark topic into such an uplifting message for bully victims. And as someone who hasn't really experienced bullying, I've realized the impact of labeling people, even when I don't insult them personally. In the past, I may have labeled and subconsciously discluded someone because of how they appear or act. It's not the same as insulting someone, or calling them names. But that subtle disclusion of a peer can hurt too. And it's much more common that teenagers form clicks and disclude each other until someone feels like they really don't belong anywhere. It's a scary feeling. Labeling and discluding others is a habit I hope I've outgrown by now, but that I know others still need to work on. Finally, Shane is strong role model for bullying victims because he shares his personal experiences and doesn't glorify it. His poem is dark because he doesn't hide how hurtful bullying is. To This Day is just a very real poem to listen to. Thank you, Shane, for your beautiful writing, and for keeping it so real. You break the ice for people to talk about the impacts of bullying, and how to stop it in the future.

Stay awesome,
Claire

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To This Day official website.

Bullying.org, which sponsored the site for Shane's poem.

Spoken Words

The other day, I pulled up a video called "To This Day: A Spoken Word" by Shane Koyczan, to show it to a friend. It's one of the darker spoken words circulating around YouTube, but also very inspiring at the end. While fresh in my mind, "To This Day" and has spurred me to focus on spoken words and their messages for a while. Spoken words are sort of like slam poetry, both are a sort of rhythmic speech or story. They've started populating TED Talks in some places, and some of the people that write and perform these are extremely talented. 

The people that write spoken words are important role models for me personally. They write down their personal thoughts, arranging a beautiful and poetic story. Then they stand up in front of a crowd, large or small, and perform their writings with rhythm, and project their thoughts and experiences. Often, the messages behind the writings are very valuable, and some of them hit you pretty hard by the end of the video. Spoken word artists write beautifully, perform beautifully, and I envy them for those two skills.

I will be spending the next week or so analyzing and sharing some of my favorite spoken words, TED Talks, and role models that speak out. I hope to discover some new artful rhyming and storytelling.

Stay awesome,
Claire

The "To This Day" poem can be found on the official site of Shane's project here.

Coach

No, not the designer handbag. 

The person in charge of the team. The one who pushes each member of a team, each individual athlete and participant. At practice, the coach is the angry face pushing everyone from the sidelines, and teaching each player on a team how to improve. In tennis, the coach helps work on serves. In football, the coach is mapping out plays for the next game. The cross country coach is calculating mile times for each runner. The bowling coach is watching the form of each bowler, and the soccer coach trains the team to pass the ball smoothly. Practice is a grueling, long session of repetition overseen by that scary coach, who shouts from the side with pieces of seemingly useless advice. The whistle hangs in his mouth, or there's a timer in her hand, or a clipboard under his elbow. "He's tough," say all the teammates. "Yeah, she made us run extra laps yesterday," they whine. But at the end of the day, that coach is the one pushing everyone on the team. Every exhausting practice with that coach is preparation for the real deal - game day. The competition, the meet, the tournament. Every practice leads up to the big day...

Whether it's the buzzer, or a starter gun, or a kick-off on the field, the coach is there for every second of it, reminding the team of what they've learned and the skills they've developed in practice. Kick it in on the last stretch of this 400 meters, make sure to block the opposer's shots, and keep your eye on the ball. And in a matter of hours, minutes, or sometimes merely seconds, it's over. 

When the team has won or lost, the coach has to be there. The coach is the one that celebrates after a success, the one who pours gatorade on the team and hands out medals and announces successes. The coach is the one to treat the team to pizza, or plan a pool party, or even just pat a player on the back. Coaches recognize every effort as a success, and they're the secret to the success of a team. 

To all the coaches out there, thanks for keeping everyone moving forward. You criticize, challenge, and motivate your teams every day in practice and in play. You are the driving power of a team, and a true role model.

Stay awesome,
Claire

Mothers: mine and all the others

Who would be a more fitting role model to kick off gr/attitude with than the mother? Moms manage everything and anything. In an ordinary day, one mom seems to accomplish the work of five other people. And they often don't get enough recognition for their hard work. I know I couldn't say 'thank you' enough if I it was all I said to my mom...

She is up at the crack of dawn, walking the dog and feeding four hungry creatures. First the dog, a bowl of gourmet food from a bag. A banana smoothie for me, please. Usually cereal for my dad, a toaster waffle for my brother, Will. Wait, is Will even awake yet? She's the one to tap on his door and wake him. And in a span of an hour we are rushing out the door. She ushers my dad, me and Will out the door. Once she sends us off, there's a sink full of dishes that she does. Often a load of laundry to clean. Beds to make, usual morning things. After she tidies, which she refuses to let anyone else do, the day is hers. Perhaps she follows me right to school, to help fit the orchestra players in gowns and tuxes, or for a PTA meeting, or a Fine Arts Program meeting. Similar meetings are hosted regularly at my brother's school, too. She's always occupying herself, and she's always helping other people. At schools, taking my dad lunch on rough days, moving shelves for her brother, or taking care of a friend's toddlers until they go to daycare. She spends her day being selfless. She mows the lawn and fixes anything in the house that's broken, or she's the one to call the plumber. And then when the rest of us return at the end of the day, she's there to listen, talk and makes dinner, almost never asking for help. After we eat she races my dad to the sink to wash the dishes. Sometimes I come home after a long day, and she's bubbling with news. "Today," she'll say, "I registered you for the ACT. And while you were at school, I picked up your car and got the oil changed. And installed a new towel rack in the bathroom for your brother. I also took your old bike into school so your teacher can give it to a student that needs transportation." She takes minimal time for herself, is constantly involved, and she's a problem solver. Thank you, mom.

I know some moms do more to support their family economically, and I recognize those mothers too. This post is in honor of all the hardworking moms that take care of everyone except themselves. Whether they're paying the bills or packing the lunch boxes, or both, they deserve some extra appreciation.
Their hard work and selflessness makes them exemplary role models. So kudos to all the mothers out there, mine included, that work their butts off and then say thank you to us when we conjure up a lame mother's day card, and not much else.

Don't forget to thank your mother for everything she does. You can never say thanks too much.

Stay awesome,
Claire

What is a role model?

Role models are people we look up to. As kids, we look up to siblings and parents, who seem to possess superpowers. Teachers, athletes and musical artists are like superheroes. The teachers have those sharp, laser eyes that burn across the room. Athletes can practically fly across the fields and courts! And musicians lull us with their talents, hypnotic tunes, and flashy performances. They're almost superheroes, really. 

But as we get older, those people become more like people and less like stars. The people who once shined down on us and inspired us, dull in our minds as we realize they are really just people. Now we forget them a little, push them back in our minds as we choose our own route in life. When I'm choosing classes to take in high school, I am no longer aiming to have a hit song on the radio, but to learn and grow as my own role model. This is a good thing. We are growing up, becoming individuals and deciding which traits we want to retain or develop as we near adulthood. But those original role models, the shining, perfect stars that we looked up to, are still there, living amongst us and continuing to inspire others. And they deserve to be recognized. So do the young, fresh, surprising role models. Inspiration can come from children and peers, or from wise adults. All of whom should be respected and admired.

So, here we are. gr/attitude. The blog that recognizes people with great attitudes. I'll write about a variety of role models, young and old. I'll try to write about what we can learn from them, how to appreciate them, and ways we can all become better role models. This blog is really about self-improvement and appreciating the awesome people out there.

Stay awesome,
Claire