Frustration. We’ve all felt it at one point or another in our lives. However, when this emotion bleeds into other aspects of our life, it can sometimes be inappropriate or even detrimental. Many students have felt the effects of being overlooked by an adult in the building. After the experience, students can be left feeling uninspired and unmotivated. Ultimately, adults in school institutions should be mindful of their responses to students both behaviorally and verbally.

I was personally discouraged by an adult during my high school career. After telling her what university I wanted to attend, she bluntly told me I would not get in. I was completely appalled and offended at her statement. The individual may have not intended to be so piercingly assuming with her words, but it had an after effect. The meeting made me think she had no belief that I could possibly succeed in the future.

Subsequently, it made me feel aghast because I was taught to respect and revere elders who had a hand in my education.

Lastly, it caused me to try to avoid any future meetings until absolutely necessary. This is a backwards way of operating because students should be able to feel comfortable while talking to adults in academic establishments.

We are all human, therefore we can all understand that some days are more challenging than others. Further, we’re not always readily and happily accepting of the challenge before us. But when people allow situations of stress to consume them, they cannot perform their best. Primarily in positions of influence, people should be attentive to how their reactions could affect the person they are interacting with, and strive to be their best in the present moment. People have the potential to perform their best when they are indulged in the task at hand. When a person can be totally present, they communicate appropriately and are mindful. Adults who can come off as brash through communication, have an affect on a young impressionable mind.

Adults whether in schools, clinics, or any other establishment, should work to tear down walls gently and create a safe space for the person they are serving. These adults should also help and contribute to a person’s academic, personal, and professional growth. High school is a critical time where adolescents need someone to believe in them.

These are the turning points where young students manifest into working adults. What is of utmost importance is the beliefs instilled in these students through support and interaction. It is those beliefs introduced in teenage years, when an individual is the most susceptible, that also shapes a person’s choices and actions in the future. If those choices and actions are detrimental based on the quality of guidance an individual received, then it is likely they cannot be effective contributing members of society.

In conclusion, I would like to add that it is not fundamentally up to adults only. Students are responsible for seeking help from adults who are in authority positions. They are also responsible for the way they approach adults in their academic surroundings and outside of school. Students should only expect to be treated in a respectful and dignified way when they embody it in their initiation.

Overall, the responsibility lies on both parties. When both sides can cohesively communicate in a courteous manner, then the complete environment of the school has the potential to thrive.