Elevi cu probleme, vremuri

tulburi, soluii stoice?

de Mark Harding

Nu-i uor pentru nimeni. Surs foto aici

Am fcut cunotin cu stoicismul cu muli ani n urm la liceu i la

universitate n timp ce studiam cultura clasic i recent a nceput s
m intereseze din nou ca o modalitate de a-i ajuta pe numeroii elevi
de la liceul unde predau care sufer de anxietate din cauza
standardelor de excelen academic autoimpuse i a ateptrilor
ridicate din partea prinilor lor. De-a lungul ultimilor ani i mai ales n
acest an, s-a constatat c unii dintre elevii notri sunt supui unui stres
psihologic semnificativ (i, conform unor relatri, acesta se pare c
este un fenomen global) i, uneori, au fost spitalizai din acest motiv.
Atunci cnd analizm povetile lor, este clar c problema nu este
numai presiunea de a obine admiterea la o instituie academic din
primul ealon, ci de asemenea mediul mai larg de incertitudine
economic, terorismul
internaional, precum i ameninarea
schimbrilor climatice.
Totui, generaiile anterioare au ndurat Marea Depresiune i au luptat
n al doilea rzboi mondial, s-au frmntat n timpul crizei rachetelor
cubaneze i au trit n timpul Rzboiului Rece sub ameninarea
permanent a anihilrii nucleare. Nu pare s existe nicio eviden c
un numr mare de persoane din acele generaii ar fi suferit emoional
din cauza acestor presiuni. De fapt, reacia n cele mai multe dintre
aceste cazuri a fost o ampl mobilizare politic a tinerilor. n ciuda

Micrii Occupy <Wall Street>, am fi tentai s concluzionm c

generaia actual este moale i deconectat n comparaie cu
generaiile anterioare, dei din perspectiva celor cu barb crunt,
tinerii din orice vreme i-o caut cu lumnarea. Cu toate acestea, n
discuiile pe care le-am avut cu colegii mei de-a lungul ultimilor ani, am
observat o tendin din partea elevilor de a o lsa balt mai repede
atunci cnd lucrurile merg ru. Acetia sunt mai reticeni s rspund
la provocri chiar dect tinerii din trecutul recent i sunt, de asemenea,
mult mai puin nclinai s-i asume riscuri dect crdurile dinaintea
lor.
Un aspect al problemei este c acetia sunt educai ntr-un mediu n
care, deoarece educaia este un drept, succesul este de asemenea
considerat a fi un drept. Persistena n faa adversitii este
recomandat dar pn la urm nu este necesar i aceasta conduce la
o mentalitate n care egalitatea anselor este confundat cu egalitatea
rezultatelor, producnd un copil care crede c va reui n tot ce va
ncerca toate aspiraiile i se vor realiza, toate visele i se vor ndeplini.
Acest situaie conduce la scderea absenteismului la ore i n general
la rate de colarizare mai bune, dar, de asemenea, n final, produce
ceteni aduli crora, la fel ca i lui Tyler Durden n Fight Club li s-a
spus c au s fie milionari, zei ai marelui ecran i staruri rock - iar
acum, realiznd c este fals, sunt foarte, foarte suprai.
Nimic din toate acestea nu este din vina elevilor. Singurul lor pcat
este s cread ceea ce le spun muli dintre adulii ndrgostii de
psihotrncneal. Poi fi orice vrei s fii, iat un sentiment minunat
care se gsete ntr-o form sau alta prin birourile de orientare i n
slile de clas, i care mi vine n minte cel mai uor drept unul dintre
clieele care ar putea face mai mult ru dect bine pe termen lung.
Prinii hiperprotectivi (1), protecia emoional fa de realiti
neplcute i alte vicisitudinile ale vieii moderne de familie pot de
asemenea ntregi imaginea.
Deci, cutnd o cale practic pentru a-i ajuta pe aceti copii s
dezvolte mai degrab o filosofie dect o patologie atunci cnd vine
scrisoarea de respingere de la Harvard sau atunci cnd nu sunt votai
pentru a deveni MVP-ul meciului ori nu sunt selectate ca regin a
balului, m-am ntors ctre stoicism, mai puin pentru metafizica sa, mai
mult pentru poziia sa de pesimism raional. Orict de neplcut ar
putea s sune aceast expresie celor care, setai pe poziia default,
salut plini de fasoane cu avnt de majorete tot ceea ce tinerii notri
spun i fac, eu cred c stoicismul le ofer elevilor notri o posibilitate
mai mare de fericire, acum i n viitor, i n circumstane extreme le

poate salva chiar viaa. Ceea ce urmeaz sunt cteva exemplificri

extrase din experiena mea.
CONTROL
Am anunat data testului i apoi a venit ntrebarea:
Domnule profesor, avei vreo sugestie pentru subiectul de la eseu?"
Da.
Putei s ne spunei i nou?
Nu.

La nceputul anului aceast rutin uor comic reuea s scoat cteva

rsete; acum Beatrice a privit doar cu team spre banca ei. Am simit o
fior de vinovie pentru c nu am vrut s par insensibil sau flecar. De
fapt, Beatrice avusese rezultate foarte bune la toate testele de pn
atunci. Cu toate acestea, era rareori mulumit de rezultatele ei i
venea adesea la birou s-mi cear sfaturi despre cum ar putea s fac
i mai bine.
Dac Beatrice ar fi fost un pacient la psihiatrie, probabil ar fi fost
descris ca unul dintre cei foarte necjii: persoane care n general
sunt adaptate la cerinele vieii, dar care nu se simt n largul lor sau
confortabili sau mulumii. Ateptarea ei ncordat dup ntrebarea
despre test trdeaz ceea ce eu cred c este una dintre problemele
principale ale elevilor cu rezultate foarte bune dar anxioi - ngrijorarea
cu privire la ceea ce nu s-a ntmplat nc, mai degrab dect
concentrarea asupra a ceea ce se poate face acum.
Acest tip de elevii sunt att de hotri de a face bine la examen nct
uit c ceea ce conine testul este n afara controlului lor. Cu excepia
cazului cnd elevii sunt foarte norocoi, testul va conine un material
pe care nu l-au neles sau pe care nu i-l amintesc perfect sunt prea
multe variabile implicate pentru a fi altfel. Profesorul trebuie s
reaminteasc elevilor (care adesea sunt att de buni nct nu se
confrunt cu dificulti dect n ultimii ani de liceu sau n primul an de
universitate), c doar pregtirea pentru test este sub controlul lor. Pare
evident pentru profesor, dar nu este ntotdeauna evident pentru elev.
De multe ori, acetia caut vreo formul magic care s le asigure nota
perfect.

I-am cerut Beatricei i altor elevi ca ea s gndeasc n mod rezonabil:

dac ai fcut bine la celelalte teste, probabil c vei face bine i de
data asta. Ai studiat bine i la intervale regulate? V-ai concentrat n
special pe materia la care suntei mai slabi? V-ai ngrijit corpul i
mintea cu mncare bun si somn adecvat? Apoi, n ziua testului, putei
spune sincer c ai rspuns ct ai putut de bine? i v-ai gndit la cele
mai grele subiecte posibile i la cum o s le rezolvai dac v pic la
test? Atunci ai fcut ceea ce era sub controlul vostru. Ai creat
posibilitatea de a avea succes la test. ntrebrile de la test sunt n afara
controlului vostru i pot fi mai grele dect v ateptai. Anumite
insuccese sunt inevitabile dar cel puin v-ai pregtit ct ai putut mai
bine.
Nu tiu dac Beatrice a urmat acest sfat, dar a fost cel mai bun pe care
puteam s i-l dau.
ECHILIBRU
Melissa era att de suprat c tremura. Se aez n biroul consilierului
de orientare fr s poat vorbi. Pe lng faptul c era o fat ngrozitor
de timid, ea tocmai terminase o prezentare important i lung
despre care credea c i va fi imposibil s o fac i pe care era convins
c o ratase. n cursul aceluiai an mi fcuse deja o prezentare
satisfctoare i cu toate c fusese foarte agitat, trecuse prin ea fr
s aib o cdere nervoas. De data asta diferena hotrtoare o fcea
importana acestei prezentri pentru nota final la curs. Presiunea a
dus la o pierdere total a cumptului.
Oare cum poate ajuta profesorul un elev al crui respect de sine se
bizuie pe note? Mediul academic actual, cu concurena sa acerb
pentru admiterea la cele mai bune universiti, nu este de mare ajutor.
A le spune elevilor c, pe termen lung, aptitudinile lor vor deveni
evidente, indiferent la ce coal se duc i c, prin urmare, admiterea la
una dintre colile de top nu conteaz, nu le va aduce, probabil, nicio
mngiere, pentru c n acel moment conteaz chiar foarte mult
pentru ei. Pe de o parte, dorim ca ei s se strduiasc, s dea ce au
mai bun din ei i s nu se lase pe tnjal; pe de alt parte, e nevoie ca
ei s-i dezvolte simul raional fa de ansele pe care le au de a-i
atinge obiectivele.
M gndesc c punerea n perspectiv a lucrurilor poate ajuta elevii
aflai n aceast situaie i anume, prin cunoaterea experienelor
altor oameni, faimoi sau mai puin faimoi, care s-au confruntat cu
mprejurri potrivnice similare. Schimbarea modului de a gndi poate
duce la stpnirea emoiilor, care la rndul ei poate duce la nfruntarea
cu senintate a problemelor viitoare. Dei nu am avut nc ocazia de a

vorbi cu Melissa despre aceast problem, dac a avea aceast

ocazie probabil c voi scoate n eviden faptul c colile unde este
interesat ea s mearg primesc aproximativ unul din o mie de
candidai. Ar trebui pentru asta s renune? Nu, pentru c depunerea
candidaturii este sub controlul ei - decizia de admitere nu este. Mii de
oameni extrem de talentai sunt respini de ctre aceste instituii n
fiecare an i cu toate acestea, ajung s fac lucruri extraordinare n
via. ntr-adevr, doar unul dintre directorii din top zece al revistei
Fortune 500 Companies a mers la o coal de prestigiu (2), fr s mai
vorbim de stlpii sectorului high-tech, care au fost admii n astfel de
coli dar le-au abandonat nainte de absolvire pentru a cuta s
realizeze ceva mai creativ i, s-ar putea argumenta, mai important.
Oare o hrnesc cu un fals optimism, fcnd-o s cread c graie
sclipirii sale de geniu va iei nvingtoare, n ciuda tuturor dificultilor?
Nu, subliniez doar c viaa tuturor este plin de variabile independente
de voina lor, i c uneori, lucrurile merg bine i viaa este plcut, iar
alteori nu merg bine i viaa este grea.
Oare promovarea unui pesimism raional ar distruge visele unui
student, precum Melissa? Eu nu cred asta. nc o dat, datoria unui
profesor este s-i ncurajeze elevii s caute s-i realizeze aspiraiile
lor cele mai dragi, mbinnd asta cu o alt datorie la fel de important,
aceea de a-i cultiva un mod de a gndi raional i critic. n Meditaiile
sale, Marc <Aureliu> i reamintete c n fiecare zi se va confrunta cu
oameni arogani, necinstii, nesociabili i alii asemenea, i prin urmare
se pregtete pe sine nsui s fie cumptat pe tot parcursul zilei. Un
list asemntoare pentru elevul care privete spre viitor ar putea
cuprinde contientizarea c va intra la o coal care nu a fost prima sa
opiune, unde va asista la disertaii de valori ndoielnice i va avea
instructori mediocrii. Totui, aceste mprejurri potrivnice creeaz de
asemenea condiiile pentru dezvoltarea unor trsturi personale de
excepie precum i a rezistenei la acest mediu imprevizibil i posibil
haotic.
CURAJ
n timp ce prsea sala de clas, Anthony a fcut un gest obscen i o
remarc vioaie la adresa unui coleg de clas. Colegul su fcuse unele
comentarii uor ironice, dar altfel fr gravitate, ns Anthony le-a
umflat pn au cptat proporiile unui atac major. Nu era prima dat
cnd Anthony se comporta nepotrivit ntr-o situaie tensionat din
clas i remarca, combinat cu starea de oboseal a lui Anthony,
datorat lipsei de somn, a declanat o cdere emoional. De-a lungul
a civa ani, am avut mai multe discuii cu Anthony referitoare la
planurile sale de viitor i avea planuri foarte mari. Antreprenoriatul,
bncile de investiii i diplomaia (printre altele) erau cu toate opiuni

la ndemna lui. Prin rezultatele sale SAT sau cele de la examenele de

admitere la nivelul avansat (3), el artase c avea abilitile academice
i cognitive cel puin pentru a fi luat n consideraie de mai multe
dintre primele douzeci de universiti de top i c, chiar dac nu ar fi
fost admis la una dintre acestea, indiferent de coal unde s-ar fi dus,
tot i-ar fi croit un drum al su. n timp ce studia pentru testul SAT,
venea adesea s stm de vorb despre ndoielile sale, n special cnd
se compara cu ceilali elevi cu calificative foarte bune din anii trecui.
n acele momente, am avut grij s-i subliniez c, Acei oameni sunt
70% ap, la fel ca tine.
tiu c remarca poate prea facil, dar ncercam s-i spun c succesul
la aceste examene nu e o realizare supraomeneasc, dei adesea unui
elev i poate aprea tot att de departe ca i ctigarea unei medalii
olimpice de aur. Totui, Anthony se confrunta cu o problem mai
serioas i mai dureroas: va avea oare el curajul de a duce totul la
bun sfrit, cu toate aceste teste exigente i tiind c, probabil, nu i
va realiza visul de a fi acceptat la o coal de prestigiu (2)? Ca colar,
Anthony afia foarte mult siguran: era un excelent participant la
dezbaterile dup modelul parlamentar, o persoan citit i cu o bun
capacitate de a gndi critic. Totui, toate acestea se raportau la nivelul
unei coli destul de mici, unde doar civa dintre camarazii si
demonstrau caliti similare i unde, prin urmare, nu se confrunta cu
cine tie ce concuren. Putea oare s rite s-i rneasc amorul
propriu, jucnd n liga mare, nfruntnd concurena unor oameni foarte
inteligeni din ntreaga lume?
Odat, mi-a mrturisit c educaia fusese cel mai important lucru
pentru el, nc de mic copil. nvase singur s vorbeasc mai multe
limbi strine, s cnte la mai multe instrumente i era un poet
debutant. Comparnd interesele sale cu ale mele la aceeai vrst
(rock and roll-ul, sporturile, fetele) am ajuns s m simt ca un incult i
de asemenea am avut sentimentul c ar fi o grav injustiie dac nu ar
reui s-i ndeplineasc ambiiile. Atunci m-a ntrebat dac succesul
este pur i simplu rezultatul muncii srguincioase.
Fiindc asta este una dintre minciunile comode pe care le spunem
ocazional elevilor pentru a-i motiva, am chibzuit ndelung nainte de a
rspunde. M-a privit fix i nu m-a lsat s scap. ntr-un final, a trebuit
s-i spun sincer c srguina nu este ntotdeauna rspltit pe msur.
De fapt, de cele mai multe ori, n domeniile extrem de concureniale,
ca de exemplu n sport, n art sau n mediu universitar, majoritatea
oamenilor muncitori nu-i ndeplinesc visele. Din propria experien, iam mrturisit c sunt unul din multitudinea de doctoranzi care s-au
retras dintre cei care au nceput dar care nu au terminat niciodat
studiile de doctorat. De asemenea, am punctat c n Canada, 97%

dintre noii absolveni de doctorat nu obin un post permanent de titular

la universitate. Am vzut c era plouat i mi-am dorit s pot terge
ultimele cinci minute ale conversaiei. i-a luat ghidul de studiu i a
cerut permisiunea s plece.
Cteva zile mai trziu Anthony a fost internat n spital, dup ce
ameninase de mai multe ori c o s-i fac singur ru. A fost inut sub
observaie, evaluat i externat scurt timp dup aceea, considerndu-se
c era puin probabil s-i fac singur ru. n mod cinic, unii au crezut
c acest comportament al su era doar o modalitate de a atrage
atenia asupra sa. Eu am ales s amn pronunarea. Dar oare se
ntmplase din vina mea, pentru c nu repetasem minciuna munca
srguincioas te va duce acolo unde vrei s ajungi? Sper c nu. Dac
rul cel mai mare s-ar fi ntmplat i i-ar fi luat viaa, oare lipsa mea
de optimism strlucitor ar fi fcut parte din motivaia lui de a-i pune
capt vieii ? Acum, mi se pare evident c Anthony nu era destul de
sigur de el pentru a nfrunta perspectiva unor visuri nemplinite cu
trie stoic. Cum am putea s-i nvm n mod concret pe elevii ca
Anthony, c redresarea dup un eec este n realitate mai important
(i mai frecvent n via) dect obinerea unui succes, atunci cnd
atia din societatea ntreag prin intermediul mass-media i a
reelelor de socializare fac succesul ameitor s par normal i i
freac ridichea cu maini pe care nu le vei avea niciodat, cu vacane
n care nu te vei duce niciodat i cu frumusee pe care nu o vei avea
niciodat? Nu am nc un rspuns, dar lucrez la asta.
Mark Harding pred n cadrul programului Advanced Placement (3) la
York Memorial Collegiate Institute (Toronto, Ontario, Canada). El a
predat, de asemenea, la York University (Toronto) i la Simon Fraser
University (Burnaby, British Columbia). n prezent, el pred cursuri de
englez, psihologie i seminarul noului program College Board AP
Capstone Diploma.
Sursa articolului:
https://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/stoicismtoday/2015/08/15/troubled-studentstroubled-times-stoic-solutions-by-mark-harding/
Traducerea realizat dup textul original din limba englez de ctre
Constantin. Toate drepturile aparin autorului articolului.
Note
(1) Helicopter parenting n original
(2) Ivy League n original

(3) Advanced Placement (AP) este un program din Statele Unite i

Canada, creat de College Board, care ofer elevilor de liceu programe
i examinri de nivel universitar

Troubled Students, Troubled

Times, Stoic Solutions?
by Mark Harding

Its not easy for anyone. Sourced here.

I was introduced to Stoicism while studying classics in high school and
university many years ago, and became interested in it again recently
as a way to help the many highly anxious students in the high school
where I teach deal with self-imposed standards of academic
excellence and the high expectations of their parents. Over the past
several years, and this year especially, a number of our students have
reported significant psychological distress (and this reportedly is a
global phenomenon) and sometimes have been hospitalized as a
result. When considering their stories, it is clear that not only the
pressure to obtain admission to a Tier One academic institution is part
of the problem, but so is the broader environment of economic
uncertainty, international terrorism, and the threat of climate change.
However, previous generations endured the Great Depression and
fought in the Second World War, fretted through the Cuban Missile
Crisis, and lived through the Cold War with the ever-present threat of
nuclear annihilation. There appears to be no record of large numbers of
that generation folding emotionally under those pressures. In fact, the
reaction in several of those instances was a broadly-based political

mobilization of young people. The Occupy movement notwithstanding,

one is tempted to conclude that the current generation is soft and
disengaged compared to previous generations, but the youth of any
day have always been going to hell in a handcart from the greybeards
perspective. Nevertheless, in discussions with my colleagues over the
past few years, we have noticed a tendency for students more quickly
to pack it in when the going gets tough. They are more reluctant to
take on challenges than students even in the recent past and they are
also more risk-averse as a group than previous cohorts were.
One aspect of the problem is that they are educated in an
environment where, because education is a right, success is
considered to be a right, as well. Persistence in the face of adversity is
advised but ultimately not required and leads to a mentality where
equality of opportunity becomes confused with equality of outcome,
producing a child who believes that he or she will be successful in
every undertaking all aspirations met, all dreams fulfilled.
This leads to better attendance in class and better retention rates in
school generally, but also in the end, produces adult citizens who, like
Tyler Durden in Fight Club, were told they were going to be millionaires,
movie gods, and rock starsand now, realizing that is untrue, are very,
very pissed off.
None of this is the fault of the student. Their only sin is to believe what
many adults, in love with psychobabble, tell them. You can be
anything you want to be, a lovely sentiment found in one form or
another in guidance offices and classrooms, most readily comes to
mind as a cliche that may do more harm than good in the long run.
Helicopter parenting, emotional protection from unpleasant reality, and
other vicissitudes of modern family life may be part of the picture, as
well.
So, looking for a practical way to help these kids develop a philosophy
rather than a pathology when the rejection letter from Harvard comes
or when they are not voted Most Valuable Player or are not selected as
Prom Queen, I turned to Stoicism, less the metaphysics, for its position
of rational pessimism. As unpleasant as that phrase might sound to
those whose default position is to be rah-rah cheerleading everything
our young people say and do, I think it offers our students a greater
possibility of happiness now and in the future, and in extreme
circumstances may even save lives. What follows are a few vignettes
from my experience.
CONTROL

I announced the test date and then came the question:

Sir, do you have any hints about what the essay topic will be?
Yes.
Can you give us one?
No.
Earlier in the year, that little comic routine got some laughter; now
Beatrice just looked down at her desk in anguish. I felt a pang of guilt
because I didnt want to appear insensitive or flippant. Beatrice had
actually done very well on all the tests up to this point. However, her
results seldom satisfied her and she was a frequent visitor to my office,
looking for tips on how to do even better.
Beatrice, if she were a psychiatric patient, would probably be described
as one of the worried well: individuals who are, in general, coping
with lifes demands but who never feel at ease or comfortable or
satisfied. Her anxiety about the test question betrays what I believe is
one of the central problems of the anxious, high-achieving studenta
concern about what has not happened yet rather than a focus on what
one can do now..
Such students are so driven to do well that they forget that the
content of the test is out of their control. Unless the students are very
lucky, the test will present some material that they did not understand
or remember perfectlytoo many variables are involved for it to be
otherwise. A teacher must remind these students (who are often so
bright that they do not encounter any academic adversity until the
senior years of high school or the first year of university) that only the
preparation for the test is in their control. This sounds obvious to the
teacher, but it is not always obvious to a student. They often look for
some magic formula that will ensure perfection.
I have told Beatrice and students like her to think of it reasonably: if
you have done well on the other tests, you will probably do well on this
one. Have you studied thoroughly and at regular intervals? Have you
focused especially on the material where you are weak? Have you
been respecting your body and mind with good nutrition and adequate
sleep? Then, on the morning of the test, can you honestly say you have
done your best? And have you thought ahead to the worst possible
combination of material on the test and considered how you would
deal with it if it were to appear? Then you have done what is in your
control. You have created the opportunity for success on the test. The

questions on the test are out of your control and may be more difficult
than you expected. Some kind of failure is inevitable, but at least you
have prepared yourself to the best of you ability.
I do not know if Beatrice took this message to heart, but it was the best
advice I could give her.
EQUANIMITY
Melissa was so upset she was shaking. She sat in the guidance
counselors office unable to speak. Already a painfully shy girl, she had
just completed an important, lengthy presentation which she found
almost unbearable to do and was convinced she had failed. She had
done a satisfactory presentation for me earlier in the year and,
although she was nervous, she got through it without a breakdown.
The crucial difference this time was the value of the presentation for
her overall course grade. That pressure resulted in a complete loss of
composure.
How does the teacher help a student whose sense of self-worth rests
on a grade? The current academic environment is not much help with
its fierce competition for admission to the best universities. Telling
students that, in the long run, their talent will be evident no matter
where they go to school and therefore admission to one of the top
schools doesnt matter will probably be of no comfort, because at this
moment it does matter very deeply to them. On the one hand, we want
them to strive for the best and avoid complacency; on the other hand,
we need them to develop a rational sense of their chances of meeting
their goals.
My thinking is that perspectivethrough a knowledge of other peoples
experience, famous or otherwise, who faced similar adversitycan help
students in this situation. Changed thinking can lead to controlled
emotions, which can lead to equanimity in the face of future trouble.
Although I have not yet had a chance to talk to Melissa about this
problem, if I do have the chance I will probably point out that the
schools she is interested in attending admit about one in one thousand
applicants. Should she give up? No, because the application process is
still in her controlthe admission decision is not. Thousands of highly
talented people are turned away from these institutions every year
and, nevertheless, do tremendous things with their lives. Indeed, only
one of the CEOs of the top ten Fortune 500 companies went to an Ivy
League school, not to mention the pillars of the high-tech sector who
were admitted to such schools and left them before graduation to
pursue
more
creative
and,
one
might
argue,
important
accomplishments. Am I filling her with false optimism that her

brilliance will win the day, no matter what? No, I am pointing out that
anyones life is full of variables beyond ones control, and sometimes
things work out and life is pleasant, and other times they dont and life
is hard.
Would advocating a mindset of rational pessimism destroy the
dreams of a student such as Melissa? I do not believe so. Once again,
the teacher has a duty to encourage students to pursue their
cherished aspirations combined with an equally important duty to
cultivate a rational and critical way of thinking. In the Meditations,
Marcus reminds himself that every day he will face the arrogant, the
devious, the unsocial, and so on, and thereby prepares himself to be
composed during the day. A similar inventory for a student looking to
the future might be realizing she will enter a school not of her first
choice, assignments of doubtful value, and mediocre instructors.
However, these adversities also create the conditions for developing
personal excellence and resilience in an unpredictable, possibly chaotic
environment..
COURAGE
As he was leaving the room, Anthony made an obscene gesture and a
petulant remark to a classmate. The classmate had made some slightly
mocking but otherwise benign comment that Anthony inflated into a
major attack. This was not the first time Anthony had behaved
inappropriately when under pressure in class and the remark,
combined with Anthonys state of sleep-deprivation, triggered an
emotional meltdown. I had many discussions with Anthony over a few
years regarding his plans for the future, and his plans were very grand.
Entrepreneurship, investment banking, and diplomacy (among others)
were all possibilities for him. Through his results on the SAT and
Advanced Placement exams, he had shown that he had the academic
and cognitive abilities at least to be considered by several top twenty
universities and, even if he were not admitted to one of those, would
find his way no matter where he went to school. As he studied for his
SATs, he often came to chat with me about his misgivings, especially
when comparing himself to other highly-qualified students from years
gone by. At those times I was careful to point out to him, Those people
are 70% water, just like you.
I know that remark may sound facile, but I was trying to tell him that
success on these exams is not a superhuman feat, although it can
often seem as remote to a student as winning an Olympic gold medal.
However, Anthony faced a deeper and more poignant problem: could
he maintain his courage to follow through with all this extensive
testing, knowing that he probably will not achieve his dream of being

accepted to an Ivy League school? Anthony displayed much confidence

as a scholar: he was an excellent parliamentary debater, he was wellread, and he had good capacity for critical thinking. However, that was
all in the context of a fairly small school where only a few of his peers
demonstrated similar gifts and, therefore, he did not face much
competition. Could he risk the blow to his ego of playing in the big
leagues, facing competition from very clever people from all around
the world?
Once he confided in me that education had been the most important
thing to him, ever since he was little. He has taught himself several
languages, plays several different musical instruments, and is a
budding poet. Comparing what interested him to what interested me at
the same age (rock and roll, sports, girls) made me feel like a
philistine, and also made me feel that it would be a grave injustice if he
failed to fulfill his ambitions. He then asked me if I thought success was
purely a product of hard work.
I hemmed and hawed around that one, it being one of the convenient
lies we casually tell students to keep them motivated. He stared at me
and would not let me off the hook. Finally, I had to tell him honestly
that hard work does not always pay off. In fact, more often than not, in
highly competitive fields such as sports, the arts, and academics, the
majority of hard-working people do not fulfill their dreams. From my
own experience, I confessed to him that I am one of a multitude of
doctoral dropoutspeople who started but never completed their Ph.D.
I also pointed out that in Canada, 97% of new doctoral graduates will
not get a tenured position in a university. I could see he was crestfallen
and I wished I could erase the previous five minutes of conversation.
He picked up his study guides and excused himself.
A few days later Anthony was hospitalized, having made some threats
of self-harm. He was observed and assessed and released a short time
later, deemed unlikely to hurt himself. Cynically, some thought his
behaviour was an attention-seeking device. I reserved judgment. But
was I to blame because I did not repeat the hard work will get you
where you want to go lie? I hope not. If the worst had happened and
he had taken his life, would my failure of sunny optimism have been
part of his motivation to end it all? What is obvious to me now is that
Anthony was not yet secure enough in himself to face the prospect of
dashed dreams with stoic resilience. How can we effectively educate
students like Anthony that recovering from failure is actually more
important (and more frequent in life) than achieving success, when so
much of the broader society through mass and social media makes
wild success seem normal and rubs your face in it in the form of cars
you will never own, vacations you will never take, and beauty you will

never
I dont have an answer for that yet, but I am working on it.

have.

Mark Harding teaches in the Advanced Placement Program at York

Memorial Collegiate Institute in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He has also
taught at York University (Toronto) and Simon Fraser University
(Burnaby, British Columbia). At present, he teaches English,
Psychology, and the Seminar course of the new College Board AP
Capstone Diploma Program.