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Teacher Keeps a Secret From His Students - When They Find out the Truth, They Show up at His Wedding Rehearsal
Uplifting News

Teacher Keeps a Secret From His Students - When They Find out the Truth, They Show up at His Wedding Rehearsal

This choir director received the surprise of a lifetime.Love is a powerful emotion, especially when it touches other people. It also comes in many different shapes and forms, and even though some may try to judge it, at the end of the day love is love. One middle school choir director had that message drilled into his very core on the day of his wedding rehearsal when he received the surprise of a lifetime from his students.Guarding His Personal LifeA Massachusetts middle school choir teacher named Christopher Landis loved teaching his kids. He was also beloved by the students, and many of them got to know him during their time together. So when a man started coming by to see Landis on a regular basis, the kids were curious about who he was.“That’s Joe, he’s my friend,” Landis would reply. In reality though, Joe Michienzie was Landis’ fiancé. Landis was just afraid to tell his students the truth because he was scared they would judge him or that it would upset their parents.Still, kids are smarter than we sometimes give them credit for and it didn’t take long for them to figure out that Michienzie was more than a pal. When their parents learned about the situation, they formulated a plan.A Memorable RehearsalOn the day of the engaged couple’s wedding rehearsal, they held a brunch. There, Landis noticed people were pulling out their phones, but he wasn’t sure why. That’s when he received the surprise of a lifetime: his students began filing in.“I saw the first student come in and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness,’” Landis explained to InsideEdition. “I don’t think it hit me until all of these students came in and they were smiling and all dressed up. Then I started crying, and they started crying.”According to the publication, Michienzie was in on the surprise. The parents had contacted him after learning about his engagement to their kids' teacher, and they asked if they could get the students to perform.A Moment of AcceptanceNeedless to say, Landis was shocked. He had no idea the kids knew about his relationship, let alone the fact that the parents and his fiancé had been secretly working for months together on an epic surprise.It wasn’t over there, though. Once inside, the kids sang a version of All You Need Is Love by The Beatles. It was the reminder Landis needed that love is love, and not only was there love between him and his fiancé, but his students loved him for who he was as well.“I felt like when the kids came to sing they were basically saying, 'It's OK. We know who Joe is.' So now I say, 'Joe, my husband,'” Landis added.Always Be YourselfThe best way to be authentically happy in life is to be yourself and, as hard as it might be at times, to trust that others will accept you for who you are. That’s the powerful lesson behind this beautiful story, which reminds us that sometimes we’re scared to show ourselves to others for fear of judgment.But, by living in the moment, being true to ourselves, not judging others for who they are, and leading by example, good people do come into our lives. The world isn’t perfect, but by showing the type of kindness and acceptance that Landis showed to his kids, his kids reciprocated it tenfold.In the end, he learned that it’s okay to be himself, just as he taught his kids that it’s okay for them to be their true selves, too.More from Goalcast:Retiring Teacher Left Stunned When Her Students – Past and Present – Surprised Her at Disney, Her Favorite PlaceMath Teacher Who Commutes Four Hours Every Day Gets Life-Changing Surprise from StudentsStudents Notice Something Strange About Their Favorite Physics Teacher —His Confession Takes Them by Surprise

12-Year-Old Is Forced to Start Working to Pay Bills - Finally, She Decides to Finish What She Started 60 Years Ago
Uplifting News

12-Year-Old Is Forced to Start Working to Pay Bills - Finally, She Decides to Finish What She Started 60 Years Ago

When it comes to accomplishing dreams you set out for yourself as a kid, it’s never too late. One great-grandmother from Queensland is living proof that your dreams stick with you forever.Sharon Sutton didn’t grow up with much. When she was a kid, she wasn’t able to attend high school because of a lack of resources. At age 12, she got a job to help her family pay the bills. Why One Woman Had to Start Working at 12 Years OldPhoto by cottonbro studioFast forward six decades and 73-year-old Sharon is pictured throwing her graduate cap during her commencement ceremony. “I've never stopped learning," Sharon said. “Even in those 55 years between finishing primary school and starting university, I don't think I ever stopped learning. I was always reading something and finding something new.”As a kid, Sharon loved to go to school. She had aspirations of becoming a history and geography teacher when she graduated. “I just assumed I was going on to high school,” she said. “I said something to my mum about, ‘Next year when I go to high school’ — and she told me that there was no high school… because mum and dad didn't have the money to buy uniforms or books or shoes. I was 12 when I started working in a clothing factory, which today would be called a sweatshop.”Sharon always knew she would get her degree one day. Over the next 40 years, Sharon and her husband worked on a cattle farm while raising their children and grandchildren.When she retired, she remembered what she set out to do and enrolled herself at the University of the Sunshine Coast. At school, she studied a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English and minoring in history and Indigenous studies.How a Grandmother Proved the Importance of Chasing Your Dreams Today, Sharon stands proud of the five years she worked to get her degree. She was constantly surrounded by people much younger than her but always managed to keep her head up. “I didn't just scrape over the line, she said. “I got good marks in so many subjects and so many assignments.” What Sharon found the most difficult in all of her studies was the technological aspect. She had to create PowerPoints and submit online assignments, which she had never done before. “I can remember submitting my first assignment and wondering whether it was going into the black hole of technology and if I'd ever see it again,” Sharon said. “PowerPoint presentations were an absolute nightmare, but I always got over the line with the content.” When Sharon was completing the forms for graduation everything became real. "I started to cry. I thought, 'Gee, it's real now, it’s not something just down the track. It's actually going to happen, I'm actually going to get a university degree,'” she said. “I think Mum would be proud.”Sharon’s message to everyone wanting to further their education is to “just go for it.” It’s never too late to finish what you started. “The environment and the atmosphere is so good, and mixing with the young people and listening to their views on things — it's just a great experience,” she mentioned. “I miss it terribly already.”More from Goalcast:Boy Walks More Than 2 Hours to Make It to His Graduation – Then an NFL Star Steps Up With a Free RideSingle Mom Asks Stranger to Cheer for Her Daughter at Graduation – Little Did She Know Just What He Was About to DoTeacher Thinks His Students Are Looking “Scruffy” at Their Graduation – Gives Them All Free Haircuts in School

Students Learn Their Teacher Walks 5 Miles to School Each Day - So They Come Up With This Incredible Gift
Uplifting News

Students Learn Their Teacher Walks 5 Miles to School Each Day - So They Come Up With This Incredible Gift

Kids spend a lot of time at school. So it’s unsurprising that so many of us have fond memories of those good, kind teachers who went above and beyond their job descriptions to ensure we had a good experience during those formative years. Sometimes, like in the case of this story, some of those teachers even did so despite hard things going on at home.An Exemplary TeacherFacebookAt the Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Laguna, Philippines, a science teacher named Cesar Punzalan is a class favorite. Every year the 50-year-old teacher watches his students grow as he teaches them scientific concepts, never missing a day of work.One day, his students learned why he is so dedicated. One of his kids at home was sick, and all of the money he made from the job went directly to his family. RELATED: Teacher Finds Out Her Student Is Forced to Live in a Tent for Months – When She Learns Why, She Jumps Into ActionFurthermore, in order to get to work every day, Mr. Punzalan had to walk five miles each way. It was no wonder he had ratty, torn shoes that he continued to wear.His Grade 12 students noticed the footwear, of course. But once they realized why he didn’t invest in new shoes, they decided to take action and pool their resources for new ones.A Big SurpriseOne day when Mr. Punzalan entered his classroom, he noticed a red-and-brown shoebox tied up with a ribbon on his desk. In a video taken by one of the students that was then posted by a parent on Facebook, the teacher became visibly emotional when he realized what his students had done for him.“You didn’t have to do this. Why did you spend your money? In my profession as a teacher, we don’t expect anything in return,” Mr. Punzalan told the class in the video.“You have helped us a lot since we were in Grade 9. That’s just our way of helping you a little bit. That’s nothing compared to what you have done for us and taught us,” one student replied.A Meaningful GiftIn an interview with Coconuts Manila, a student named Mary Ann Claire Garcia revealed the kids just wanted to help the teacher because he left an impression on them.“We gave him those shoes because we noticed he would always wear this pair that had holes and was falling apart,” Garcia said, as per Yahoo. “So our class president Lei Francis Marasigan thought we should all chip in and buy him a new pair.”RELATED: Teacher Thinks His Students Are Looking “Scruffy” at Their Graduation – Gives Them All Free Haircuts in SchoolShe revealed the students believe that Mr. Punzalan doesn’t receive a high salary, and they think he’s just really careful with how he spends his money so that he can provide for his family.“He didn’t really want to accept the shoes,” she continued. “He said he was not asking for anything in return [for working as a teacher]. He just wanted to share his knowledge. He cried a lot after I turned off the camera.”Small Acts Make a Big DifferenceSince the video was posted, it’s gone viral worldwide, and for good reason: there’s something really touching about watching a good person get a leg up. But the fact that teens were responsible for executing such a kind act makes it even better.It’s a good reminder that kind acts can come from anyone and anywhere — no matter how old or young you are. They also don’t have to be grand, expensive gestures to be meaningful. Just look at how much one pair of shoes moved this teacher.If you notice someone is having a hard time or is going above and beyond to do something good for the community, why not recognize them with a small gift, a card, or even just a big thank you? Not only will they appreciate being seen, but you’ll feel good knowing you helped to make someone’s day.

Teen Asks His Crush to Homecoming Dance but Gets Rejected - Then, 13 Girls Walk Toward Him for an Unexpected Reason
Uplifting News

Teen Asks His Crush to Homecoming Dance but Gets Rejected - Then, 13 Girls Walk Toward Him for an Unexpected Reason

It can be a big deal to take a chance at something new, especially if you’ve never done it before. (Or if cameras happen to be recording you doing that thing in question.) Dakota Nelton found himself in that position ahead of his homecoming dance, and things didn’t go so well for him — not at first, anyhow. But then an act of kindness turned everything around.The Leap of Faith One Young Man Took at SchoolYouTube/WGNONelton was a sophomore at H.L. Bourgeois high school in Gray, Louisiana, when he decided he was going to ask the girl he liked to the homecoming dance. So he made a big sign and walked right up to her in the hall. Unfortunately, the proposal didn’t go as planned, and she rejected him.“It was actually a pretty tough moment standing in a small circle with that one shake of the head, and you just got to find your way out of that circle,” he told WGNO New Orleans.RELATED: Nobody Asks Teen With Down Syndrome to Prom – But One Man Travels 459 Miles Across the Country to Be Her DateTo make matters worse, the entire thing was captured on video, and the incident went onto Facebook. Nelton felt like the whole school was laughing at him as he watched himself walk away while kids chuckled and stepped on his discarded poster.“That’s what made me walk away; I didn’t want to be a part of it,” he added.The Wonderful Surprise 13 Girls Planned for Their ClassmateYouTube/WGNOOn Monday, Nelton dreaded going to school, but he dragged himself through those doors, where he was met with a wonderful surprise. A group of girls at the school had seen the video and decided to do something about it.That day, 13 girls held up posters and proposed to the high schooler, asking him if he would go to the dance with them.RELATED: High School Teen Accepted to Over 50 US Colleges — Receives More Than $1.3 Million in Scholarship Offers“[We decided], let’s get a group of girls together and ask him to show him that he’s loved and worthy and deserves to be going to homecoming with somebody,” Alyssa Buckley told the publication. “We’re going to make sure he dances, like we’re going to make sure he is on the dance floor dancing.”The kind act was enough to turn the entire situation around for Nelton. “I felt like one of the popular kids in school, which I’m really not,” he added. How High School Students Proved the Importance of Kindness So often in movies and on TV, we see high school experiences of kids getting rejected before prom. In real life, those situations can be embarrassing and hurtful, especially when kids mock the person in question for putting themselves out there.The fact that these girls banded together to show a hopeful kid that he deserves love, acceptance, and friendship is a huge deal, and it’s the type of behavior that all parents should encourage. If you’ve got kids, share this story with them to inspire them to perform a kind act for someone at their own school.And if your kid is ever rejected like Nelton was, try and remind them of all the reasons they are awesome. Help them understand that everyone deals with rejection in life, and it’s important to treat yourself with compassion and to process your emotions. If you suspect bullying is involved, however, reach out to the school right away.These experiences are a part of life, but they don’t define us. How we deal with them, however, can tell us everything.

Here's How to Get Motivated to Do School Work
Motivation

Here's How to Get Motivated to Do School Work

For better or for worse, it’s never too early to start thinking about the future. Your happy, comfortable retirement will most likely be dependent on success in your professional life, as it will earn you some degree of financial stability. And your professional life is very often predicated upon success in school. Even though the idea of retiring is a long way off, it’s important to understand that staying motivated and doing well in school now will have consequences that reverberate long into the future. So if you require academic assistance, you need to spend time thinking about that now, rather than later and begin working smarter as soon as you can. Do You Require Academic Assistance?If you start taking your education seriously, you can create the pathways for a successful life early on. And a huge part of taking your education seriously is doing your homework, and doing it properly.After all, your future boss will be sort of like a teacher. They will expect your input at meetings, and after them. They will need to know that you are reliable, and will expect you to finish the tasks you are assigned, with only yourself as your motivator. If you need to create a powerpoint deck and present them later, then your work “homework” will likely involve editing slides and making sure everything is prepared so you don’t look silly and unprepared in front of your colleagues later on. You can start that now by holding yourself responsible for your academics. So stop procrastinating! Today is the time to study for tests, spend the time on papers and projects, memorize the materials needed, and do all your homework. Once you’re done, then you can enjoy some fresh air outside! A Few Reasons Students Fail to Complete HomeworkStudents that find they are having trouble finding the motivation needed to do their homework, shouldn’t be too hard on themselves. Instead, they should be ready to first identify the issues preventing them from staying on task with school work. Later you can figure out ways to stay on task with your studies.Here are a few reasons you may be off task with your homework.1 – Time Management Problems Often students find themselves in charge of their own schedules for the first time in their lives, and that can make it hard to plan when exactly to schedule in homework time. Planning your days is indeed a skill that takes practice and that does not come naturally to all people. To plan home tasks effectively, meaning slotting in time for homework along with all the other non-scheduled parts of your life, is something to devote real time and thought to. One key here is knowing that proper management of your study time also involves taking breaks and taking care of physical needs like eating healthily, exercising, and resting. (Getty)Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed by how long the homework will take, instead make a plan that makes it work – more on that below.2 – The Teacher Doesn’t Check the Homework If your professor does not check to confirm that you and your fellow students are completing homework assignments, you may start to see each assignment as optional. This is the exact wrong approach, though. In fact, when your teacher is not checking homework completion, he or she is trusting you and the other students to hold yourselves accountable. That means your homework assignments provide two chances for learning in one: a chance to learn a school lesson as well as a life lesson. No good teacher assigns homework without feeling it has importance and validity, so don’t skip it just because you can get away with doing so - you’ll only hurt yourself in the long run.3 – You Feel You Just Don’t Need the Homework Maybe you are taking a class where things just come easily to you. You have an innate grasp for the material, you do well on tests and papers, and all the homework seems to do is take time, not hone your skills or add knowledge, eh? That’s no reason not to just get it done. Even homework that’s easier for you will still serve to reinforce the material, help you avoid easy mistakes, and keep you sharp. Remember, even the most naturally skilled athletes still practice, the best musicians still rehearse, and accomplished writers churn out drafts and edit them time and again.A Few Tips to Help You Stay on Top of Homework AssignmentsSo you are committed to getting your homework done, but you’re not quite sure how to change things up so you can stay on task and keep consistently completing it on time? Here are a few homework tips to mull over.1 – Set Aside a Specific Time for Homework You’re good about going to each class on your schedule, right? Not to mention showing up for the doctor’s appointment, lunch with a friend, or other event on your calendar, right? Treat homework just the same way: schedule a time, be it daily or a few times a week, that you can set aside to study, write, edit and proofread, and whatever else your assignments entail. By making a specific homework time, it will seem less like an added burden and more like a routine part of life which, while you’re a student, it is. And remember, breaks from homework matter.2 – Treat Homework the Same as Other Academic Tasks You would never simply not show up for a test or not turn in a paper, but when it comes to homework, it can be a slippery slope if you allow it to be. But when you treat homework as simply one part of your larger school responsibilities, it’s easier to see it as a must do, not a should do.3 – Take Advantage of Academic Assistance Homework is the time you can afford to get it wrong, so to speak. Tests and papers and labs get grades that can impact your academic life overall, but when it comes to homework, making mistakes or not fully understanding concepts can be a great thing, not a problem. That’s because you can learn where you need some additional support and instruction and you can use the resources your teacher or school offers in that regard. Don’t feel embarrassed to get help, feel empowered, because with help, you will develop into an ever more successful student.4 – Find Like-Minded Students (Getty)Sometimes homework assignments are best completed alone with all your attention and focus on the work; at other times, working with other students is a great way for you to stay motivated and interested in the work. Forming a study group can help make homework more motivating and enjoyable, and your peers can offer knowledge and insight that helps you master material that’s a challenge for you, just as at times you can likely help others better grasp various academic concepts as well.5 – Don’t Do Homework at Home There are a myriad of reasons why doing homework literally at home can be a bad idea. If you live in a dorm or apartment with friends, the home space can be loud and filled with distractions. Even if your home space is quiet and calm, everything from chores to that Netflix account to your comfy bed can be an all-too-easy distraction from homework. Find a place that sets you up for focus and success. That can be a school library or dedicated study hall space, a coffee shop or diner, your parent’s house, a park bench, or whatever works for you.Set Goals for Your Academic Career to Keep Your Studies on CourseMotivation can be hard to come by when you think of it in terms like that: come by. Or find. And so on. Getting motivated is not something that just happens, it’s a choice you make. You don’t find motivation, you create it.Setting Goals And the first step toward creating motivation is the creation of goals that will help inform your academic practices. Goals are not hopes or dreams or aspirations, they are specific, logical targets you set yourself up to accomplish through diligence, focus, and, of course, motivation.Setting goals sets you up for success – this is as true in your academic life as it is for working professionals, for athletes, for artists, and so on. A businessman may set a target goal for the amount of increased revenue he hopes to generate for his company in a given quarter and then dive deep into the data that will help him plan how to do it. An athlete may plan to shave an entire second off her 400-meter dash within a three-month timeframe and will make a training plan that will work incrementally toward her speed goal. An author may commit to writing at least 5,000 words of fiction daily in order to complete a draft of a novel in a six-week timeframe.(Getty)All of these goals may sound lofty when glimpsed without an appreciation for the focus and the logical process each of these individuals can use, but with planning and motivation, more earnings, faster speeds, and finished novels are not lofty aspirations but smart goals.Setting SMART Goals is a Pretty Smart Thing to DoAnd when you work toward smart goals, as many successful people do, your chances of achieving academic success are much greater. Just remember that a “smart goal” is not to say an intelligent or clever one, but a “S.M.A.R.T.” goal, with SMART serving as an acronym for the words Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Think on each of those terms a bit as you formulate a plan for prepping for that final exam, plotting out that term paper, or ensuring you break down study of a large, dense topic into a manageable form and the final results will almost assuredly be good grades and better mastery of the material, and that’s indeed called academic success.Looking at the Big Picture Can Help You Stay MotivatedWhen you are in the middle of the school year, it can seem never-ending and exhausting. And that’s to say nothing of being in the middle of the school career. Maybe you start with a year of preschool, so that’s 14 years of education just to get you to high school graduation. Add in a four-year college degree and that’s 18 years in school. A two-year master’s program? Three years of law school, maybe four in a medical program? You may be facing some 22 years of education, and with those years comes a lot of homework.But your school years will end. And provided you remain in good health you will spend a good three times more years of your life without homework as a part of your days. The hard work you do while in school will have a direct impact on the whole of your life, a life that’s largely to be spent beyond the bounds of academic responsibilities. So stick with it, stay motivated and on task, and one day you’ll find yourself enjoying the benefits of your efforts instead of bemoaning the tasks.

SMART Goals for Students That You Can Actually Achieve
Studying

SMART Goals for Students That You Can Actually Achieve

Creating goals helps set you up for future success, especially if you start setting professional and personal benchmarks for yourself at a young age. But the way you think about your goals can affect whether or not you actually achieve them.As a student, you want to make goals that you can meet so that you will stay inspired to keep going. An achievable goal will help you avoid burning out and feeling deflated as a result. The easiest way to set yourself up for failure, whether you’re trying to make more money or lose weight, is to set goals you can’t actually meet. Luckily, there’s a trick to help you create goals you can stick to for the long term!That’s where SMART goals come in. Using the SMART goal system, you’ll be able to create goals that truly work for where you’re at, providing yourself a specific, measurable and, most of all, achievable framework. Let’s get started. What is a SMART Goal?SMART is an acronym that stands for: SpecificMeasurableAchievableRelevant Time BoundInstead of creating vague goals that you may or may not actually meet, come up with SMART goals to help you devise a solid framework around what you want to accomplish. The aim of SMART goals is to provide you with a concrete road map of where you want to go, with ways to mark your progress and keep you in check. (We’ll soon get into some SMART goals examples to show you how it all works.) When you want to set a relevant goal for yourself, a measurable goal, you should make sure it meets all of the SMART criteria. Double check that your goals check all the SMART boxes by asking yourself these questions: Is your goal specific?There’s a big difference between setting a goal to get good grades and setting a goal to maintain a specific grade point average. “Getting good grades during the school year” isn’t specific or concrete, since each person’s definition of good grades is different. Saying that you want to maintain a GPA of 3.5 or above, making a commitment to make the Dean’s list, or pushing yourself to get all A’s is more specific and concrete. Is your goal measurable?Determine how you will measure your success. Saying you will save money is vague. Committing to saving 25 percent of your paycheck or $100 per month is measurable and solid. Having a specific, tangible goal makes it easier for you to track your progress and keep yourself accountable. Is your goal achievable? You’ve probably been taught to dream big. But you don’t want to set yourself up for failure and sap your self confidence by creating goals for yourself that you just won’t be able to achieve. Trying to get a bachelor’s degree in one year, for instance, is likely not feasible—for nearly everyone. Keep yourself in check by being honest about your time constraints, financial constraints, your abilities and your talents. Is your goal relevant?Keep a healthy perspective about your goals. Setting SMART goals means understanding if a specific aim is actually worthwhile and if it’s the right time, right now, to try to achieve it. For instance, trying to train for a triathlon while starring in the school play are at odds with each other—there simply won’t be enough time (or energy) to really excel at both. Is your goal time-bound? Deadlines and time frames can be great motivators. Saying you’ll commit to 15 minutes of exercise each day is more meaningful than just saying that you’ll workout regularly. Setting a goal to get to sleep by midnight is more impactful than saying you want to get more shut eye each night. (gorodenkoff / Getty)While these time-based constraints can change over time with your needs, they work well for getting you started on your goals. If you end up needing extra time or less time, you can tweak things. (And if you’re not sure how much time certain tasks should take, you can just use your best judgement anc change course as needed.)Goal setting: The importance for students to set SMART goals Goal setting (and execution) is a life skill that you’ll need to learn in order to be successful. Setting goals using the SMART acronym helps you develop autonomy and self motivation, allowing you to stand on your own and truly flourish in your own life. While college students aren’t yet completely in the so-called “real world” practicing how to set goals and benchmarks for yourself is an important skill to hone now. Using the SMART system when goal setting helps you accomplish so many things: If you want to be a better student, get good grades, find extracurriculars that truly enrich your college experience—you name it—SMART goals can give you the framework you need to make these things happen. It will take practice to reshape your thinking from vague to specific, fluid to measurable but taking the time to get goal setting right is a worthy endeavor. When you set effective goals, you set yourself up for success, allowing for continuous self improvement. Not to mention, you’ll feel an immense sense of pride every time you tackle a goal that you’ve set for yourself. SMART goals examples for studentsAs a student, you have many balls in play, so to speak, that make up your overall life. You have your classes—studying, tests, grades and so on. You have your social life and the new friends and experiences you’ll have, particularly if you’re college bound. You have your professional life, which is just starting to bloom, like when you start your first job search. The following SMART goals examples for students are broken down into categories so you can get a jump on creating your own goals in various areas of your life. Use these examples as inspiration to brainstorm what you personally want to shoot for. (Remember: You can use the SMART acronym for both short term and long term goals.)Academic goals Example: Attending your professors’ office hours within the first month of classesSpecific: This goal is specific: You aren’t just saying that you’ll meet your professors and chat with them in a vague, open-ended way. You’re setting a specific goal to meet each one during their allotted office hours. Measurable: This goal is measurable because you can check off which professors you’ve spoken with as you meet with them. Achievable: This goal is achievable because you’re giving yourself a good amount of time to get it done.Relevant: This goal is relevant because meeting your teachers early on in the semester can help you establish a rapport with them. This can be important when you need extra help, are looking for a mentor, need a recommendation and so on.Time-Bound: This goal is time bound because you are setting a deadline for yourself of one month. Other examples of SMART goals in this category: Setting aside a certain amount of time each week for studyingApplying to a specific number of colleges or graduate school programsChecking in with your academic advisor periodically for supportParticipating in class discussions by raising your hand a certain amount of times each weekJoining campus clubs that fit with your academic and career goalsFinishing course work on time (before the day it’s due)Career goals Example: Securing a summer internship at a law firm by the end of Spring Break. (Jacobs Stock Photography Ltd / Getty)Specific: This goal is specific because you’re not just looking for any job—you want to get an internship in a specific field. Measurable:This goal is measurable because you’ll either get hired or you won’t—there’s no vague in between. Achievable: This goal is achievable as long as you’re giving yourself enough time to get it done, from researching firms to submitting applications to interviewing. You also need to be sure that you’re qualified for the jobs you are applying to, of course. Relevant: This goal is relevant if you want to become a lawyer or are studying law. Time-Bound: This goal is time bound because you are giving yourself a solid deadline by which to get hired at a law firm. Other examples of SMART goals in this category: Visiting your campus career center one time each semesterSpending a set amount of time researching new job opportunities the same day each weekFollowing up with contacts about mentoring and networking opportunities monthlyAttending at least two professional development seminars each semesterFinancial goalsExample: Apply to 10 college scholarships in the first semester of your senior yearSpecific: This goal is specific because you set a benchmark for yourself of how many scholarships to which you’ll apply. Measurable: This goal is measurable because you can tick off your scholarships as you submit each one.Achievable: This goal is achievable in that you can likely use the same statement of purpose and cover letter for many of the applications, making tweaks here and there as needed. Relevant: This goal is relevant if you’re needing financial assistance for college.Time-Bound: This goal is time bound because you’re giving yourself a deadline of one semester in which to complete and send your applications. Other examples of SMART goals in this category: Committing to learning about mutual fund investing for 20 minutes a day so you can understand how to grow your money over timeSticking to your budget by checking in with your spending once a weekDiverting extra money to hit a specific savings goal that you set each monthSelf care goalsExample: Making time to reading for fun by choosing one new book to read each monthSpecific: This goal is specific because you are outlining one form of self care that matters to you and outlining how you will achieve it. Measurable: This goal is measurable because you can say whether or not you accomplished finishing your book.Achievable: This goal is achievable if you’re committed to reading each day as a form of leisure.Relevant: This goal is relevant if you enjoy reading for fun and want to do it to relax and unwind to balance out your academic and social commitments. Time-Bound:In committing to reading one book a month you are time bound to finishing your current book by the end of the month. Other examples of SMART goals in this category: Going to bed at a set time each night that feels reasonable to youSetting aside a certain amount of time for fun and leisure activities each weekVisiting the guidance counselor or therapist once a monthEating a balanced diet by purchasing healthy groceries and eating out only three times each weekCreating a plan for movement and exercise, including how often you plan to exercise and what type of activity you will doGetting outside and in nature once a week by enlisting a friend to hike with you(GCShutter / Getty)Relationship goals Example: Stay in touch with high school friends by hosting a Zoom hangout once every two weeksSpecific: This goal is specific: You have a who (your high school friends), a what (virtual hangout), a when (every two weeks) and a where (over Zoom). Measurable: This goal is measurable because you can see on your calendar where you have committed to these hangouts.Achievable: This goal is achievable because you should be able to find time in your schedule to at least hop on Zoom for 15 minutes every two weeks if connecting with these friends truly is important to you. Relevant: This goal is relevant because staying close to these friends is a priority to you. Time-Bound: This goal is time bound because it is recurring every two weeks. You know when it’s coming and you can plan for it accordingly. Other examples of SMART goals in this category: Checking in with parents and family members a set number of times each monthLimiting time on social media to X hoursCommitting to two or three social events per week to make new friendsWork smarter, not harderSetting goals in general is important for achieving what you want out of life. But setting SMART goals sets you up from true success. Practicing goal setting through the SMART framework is a skill that you can continue to work on throughout your academic career and into your adult life. (Eva-Katalin / Getty)Use the aforementioned examples to help inspire you to make your own goals. SMART goals will help you achieve both academic success and personal satisfaction. With the right goal setting in place, you’ll have the motivation and the road map you need to accomplish anything you set your mind to.

Dad Confesses To Daughter He Was a Bully - Feels Inspired To Apologize to His Victim 20 Years Later
Uplifting News

Dad Confesses To Daughter He Was a Bully - Feels Inspired To Apologize to His Victim 20 Years Later

Louie Amundson got a major wake-up call about his actions as a teenager and it's all because his daughter asked him one question. This story of redemption proves that it's never too late to say sorry for your past mistakes. Daughter's innocence prompted an apologyLouie's daughter was working on a skit about bullying — why kids bully, what to do if you're bullied, etc. So she turned to her dad and asked if he was ever bullied. He said yes.“She then asked if I had ever bullied anyone else, and I had to think about it for a minute and that’s the first time I had thought about it in 20-plus years, so I answered honestly and said yes,” Amundson said, according to InspireMore.Amundson realized what he had to do. He'd attempt to make amends with the person he bullied, despite it being 20 years later. Better late than neverChad Michael Morrisette, a brand consultant in West Hollywood who grew up in a small town in Alaska, remembers being bullied.“The entire football team bullied me,” he told InspireMore. “It wasn’t one guy, it was six or seven guys who would follow me in the hallways, harassing me, insulting me, threatening my life.”One of those bullies was Amundson. He followed Morrisette around their junior high school, threatening him. So Morrisette was completely shocked to wake up one day with a text apology from Amundson."Hey Chad, I was recently talking with my 10 year old daughter about bullies. She asked me if I ever bullied anyone and sadly I had to say 'yes'," the text read. "What came to mind is how sh***y and mean I was to you when we were in Jr. High. I want to apologize. If we lived in the same state I would apologize to your face. I don't even know if you remember, but I do and I'm sorry."Explaining why he sent the apology, Amundson said, "You can’t change your past, but you do still own it.""I can’t take back the names I called him, and the threats I made toward him, but I can apologize," he added. "It doesn’t excuse my behavior as a child in any way, but as an adult it’s the best I can do to try to make it up to him.”Louie AmundsonForgiveness wasn't necessary, but appreciatedMorrisette said the note completely floored him, but after a day or two of letting it sink he realized it had healed a deep scar he'd almost forgotten.“It unlocked something in me I didn’t realize I’d been holding onto," he said. "I cried a little bit. It was so moving.” Morrisette responded the next day."Louie, I'm quite moved by this. Thank you and [I] accept your apology. In 20 years you are the only person to apologize for being a bully to me when we were younger. I hope you can proudly tell your daughter that you have also apologized for it, and that we are good. It's amazing what 20 years and children can do to us, no? Thank you again, and I hope you stand up to bullying anytime you see it. Have a great day!"A half an hour later, Amundson responded."Thank you. Your forgiveness means more than you know and I hope I am [not] the last to ask forgiveness with you. Cheers!"Reflecting on the Morrisette's response, Amundson said he never expected to be forgiven. “(I was) humbled and ashamed and relieved all at once," he told InspireMore. "I owed him that apology, he did not owe me his forgiveness. The fact that he was able to forgive me showed that I may have been the bigger kid, but he is the bigger man. I really didn’t expect him to respond at all, and figured if he did it would be telling me where to stick the apology, kind of like ‘too little too late.'”The two men said they hope their situation can help kids understand the repercussions of bullying.The power of an apologyWhat this story proves is that, as Justin Bieber sings in his famous hit song, it's never "too late now to say sorry." Sure, Morrisette might have forgotten about being bullied and gone on to lead a successful life. But even if he didn't realize it, he had scars from his past that Amundson helped mend.More uplifting stories:4 Years Ago, He Was Homeless–Today, He Bought His First HousePoor Man Who Missed Job Interview To Save A Life Had Employers Lining Up To Hire HimDomestic Abuse Survivor Marries The First Responder Who Saved Her LifeBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For OthersTake accountability for your actions We all make mistakes but it's how you own up to them that matters.

Appalled Dad Stands Up For 8-Year-Old Given Sexist Assignment By Teacher
Uplifting News

Appalled Dad Stands Up For 8-Year-Old Given Sexist Assignment By Teacher

A careless English teacher perpetuated sexist stereotypes with a worksheet for her students — and Twitter wouldn't let it slight.An inherently sexist assignmentWhat started as a simple English spelling worksheet has spiraled into a viral discussion about gender roles and sexism in our society.It all started with a tweet from a surgeon in the United Kingdom, Robert Sutcliffe, who shared his eight-year-old daughter's homework, according to GOOD.The worksheet was intended to highlight words with 'ur' in them — simple enough. But if you peer down to the numbered questions there is one word that stands out.In the question, the student is tasked with finding a word that is like hospital lady, but has the letters 'ur' in it. So, the girl smartly writes surgeon. There's 'ur' in it, and as it turns out, both her mom and dad are surgeons. Simple enough.But as you can see with the teacher's correction in red, that wasn't the word they were looking for. They were looking for nurse as the answer, which suggests that nurses are more likely to be hospital ladies than surgeons.Trashed on TwitterIn the replies to the tweet, people called out the teacher from framing the question as sexist and said how outdated the worksheet was.Sexism persistsIt's clear that the teacher was following the answers of the textbook and didn't stop to think about the implicit sexism of the assignment. Yes, women can be nurses, but so can surgeons and urologists, which both would be correct answers. In 1997 this type of oversight makes sense, but not now, or even when this tweet came out in 2017. Children are impressionable from a young age and it's important to encourage them to do whatever work they choose, regardless of their gender. More uplifting stories:Appalled Mom Stands Up For 6-Year-Old Shamed By Teacher For Her Painting11-Year-Old Genius Passes Up Higher Learning And It’s A Lesson For All ParentsMom Tells Son Not To Share With Other Kids And She Makes A Powerful PointWoman Finds Missing Child Using Tik Tok Hack All Parents Need To Know

Courageous Teacher Disarms Sixth-Grade School Shooter With A Hug
Everyday Heroes

Courageous Teacher Disarms Sixth-Grade School Shooter With A Hug

America has had nearly 200 mass shootings in 2021 so far, including one on May 6 at a school in Idaho that had a powerful conclusion thanks to a courageous and compassionate teacher.There was shooting in the hallway Krista Gneiting was preparing her students at Rigby middle school for their final exams when she heard gun shots.When the math teacher looked outside her classroom, she saw the custodian lying on the floor. Then, she heard two more shots and closed the classroom door.“I just told my students, ‘We are going to leave, we’re going to run to the high school, you’re going to run hard, you’re not going to look back and now is the time to get up and go,’” Gneiting told Good Morning America.De-escalation using compassionAfter ushering her students to safety, Gneiting went to help one of the injured students. Then, she saw the shooter — a sixth-grade girl.“It was a little girl, and my brain couldn’t quite grasp that,” Gneiting said. “I just knew when I saw that gun, I had to get the gun.”Police said the student brought the handgun to school in her backpack and shot two people inside the building and one outside — all were injured but released from hospital within a few days. "Are you the shooter?" Gneiting asked, as she carefully approached the girl. Then, she touched the girl's arm and slowly moved it down before grabbing the weapon.“I just slowly pulled the gun out of her hand, and she allowed me to. She didn’t give it to me, but she didn’t fight,” Gneiting said. “And then after I got the gun, I just pulled her into a hug because I thought, this little girl has a mom somewhere that doesn’t realize she’s having a breakdown and she’s hurting people.”The young girl needed helpGneiting held the girl as she waited for police to arrive.“After a while, the girl started talking to me, and I could tell she was very unhappy,” Gneiting said. “I just kept hugging her and loving her and trying to let her know that we’re going to get through this together. I do believe that my being there helped her because she calmed down.”Gneiting then informed the girl that the officer would need to put her in handcuffs, and she didn't resist.“She didn’t respond, she just let him. He was very gentle and very kind, and he just went ahead and took her and put her in the police car,” Gneiting said.The student — who has not been named due to Idaho law — has been charged for the shooting.“She is just barely starting in life and she just needs some help. Everybody makes mistakes,” Gneiting told ABC News. “I think we need to make sure we get her help and get her back into where she loves herself so that she can function in society.”Krista GneitingFighting fire with love (not fire)It's easy to use violence against violence, that's the norm and that's exactly how law enforcement works in America. But it is far more difficult to use compassion and love to de-escalate a violent situation as this extremely brave teacher did.It really makes you wonder: what else in our lives and in our society could we de-escalate with compassion instead of violence?More uplifting stories:Neighbors Stay Up All Night To Protect Asian Family From Recurring Racist AttacksBoy, 7, Saves 20-Year-Old Sister From Drowning With An Instinctive Yet Critical MoveRealtor Turns Homeless Man’s Life Around After He Returns Lost $10,000 Check8-Year-Old Boy Rescues Sister From Moving Car Driven By Volatile Kidnapper

Furious Dad Stands Up For Daughter Sent Home For Perfectly Reasonable Outfit
Uplifting News

Furious Dad Stands Up For Daughter Sent Home For Perfectly Reasonable Outfit

Apparently, a dress with a turtleneck underneath it is too distracting for a Canadian school's male teachers.Sent home in tearsKaris Wilson, a 12th Grade student at NorKam Secondary in Kamloops, British Columbia, was told her outfit — a black knee-length dress over a white turtleneck — made the teacher and his assistant (also male) uncomfortable. So, they sent the 17-year-old student to the principal's office and she was told to go home. According to her dad, Christopher, she cried the whole way. "I'm disappointed in the system," he said in a Facebook video, according to CTV News.“She’s wearing a turtleneck, under a black dress that goes to her knees,” he added. “This is absurd."A sexist dress codeWilson said he spoke with the school principal and asked for their dress code and was shocked to see that it said “not to wear clothing that is distracting to teaching or learning."“Change needs to happen,” Wilson said. “You can’t talk to students like this. These are little humans that you’re supposed to get excited about learning and the rest of their life, not demoralize them, beat them down and send them home.”Christopher said that his daughter was on board with her father sharing his disappointment. "She said, ‘You know what, it’s OK because if we make any change for someone that comes behind me, then it’s worth it.’”The school district has its tail between its legsA representative for the Kamloops School District told CTV that they were "concerned about these allegations and are treating them seriously." However, it wouldn't share a copy of the school district's dress code despite repeated requests."Whenever a parent is concerned about their child at school we want to work with them for the best outcome for the student."Unsatisfied, students gathered outside the school for a small protest where they chanted: "I stand with Karis."And it seems that the protest worked. In April, InfoNews.ca reported that the district is in the process of revamping its dress code and has already removed the part that says clothing "worn in a way that detracts from the teaching/learning process" is forbidden.See? Change can happenThe fact that this teenager was sent home for wearing a turtleneck is absurd, but the main thing to take away here is that women and girls cannot be blamed for what they wear because it makes men "uncomfortable." That is sexism, plain and simple. You'd think that society should know that by 2021, but clearly there's still work to be done. Fortunately, this school district seems to have changed course — but only thanks to Karis and her dad for doing the right thing and speaking out.For more uplifting news:Man Gives Up First-Class Seat So 88-Year-Old Woman Can Fulfill Lifelong DreamPoor Man Who Missed Job Interview To Save A Life Had Employers Lining Up To Hire HimMan Saves Up For A Year And Surprises Wife With Key To Dream HomeBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others