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Word of the Day: Live up to (something)
We all face pressure to live up to expectations placed on us.
Live up to means to meet the expectations or obligations others have for us.
From the beginning, our parents want us to be successful in everything we do.
Most times, we not only live up to those expectations, but we also exceed them.
Today, I’m going to tell you about the most heartbreaking experience I’ve had during my teaching career.
First, I’ve taught almost all levels of English, from pregnant mothers who wanted their unborn children to become accustomed to English sounds to highly skilled professionals.
Luckily, I also have experience at all school levels, from kindergarten to university and even a special needs school for children with mild to severe developmental disabilities.
The most rewarding teaching experience I’ve had was at a special needs school.
Even though those children faced extraordinary challenges, they unfailingly gave every lesson every ounce of effort they had.
Those kids were inspiring.
As a stark contrast, the most shocking experience I’ve had occurred one day in a high school hallway.
I stopped to talk to a girl who was waiting to receive workplace counselling.
I told her what I had always been told – pay attention in class, study hard, and you will be successful.
She sighed and said, “That’s impossible. Everyone says I’m stupid. My mom and dad both know it, and it’s true.”
Wow! I had nothing to say.
Later, I mentioned it to her homeroom teacher, who said it was true—the kid is stupid.
At that school, many parents had no expectations for their children, and the children had nothing to live up to.
Even as I write this post 12 years later, tears come to my eyes.
PS: The student was in her last year of high school, but she dropped out before the year was over.
Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test
This post is understandable by someone with at least a 7th-grade education (age 12).
On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 72.
The higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100, the easier the passage is to read.
