Welcome. You’re on your way to high school. You may have lived here in South Florida for a long time, or you may be in a whole new state, no friends, and your GPA is at zero. No matter what your situation is, high school can be scary for most, but the opportunities are endless.
Now that you are ready to embark on your new journey, pull up your pants and tie your shoes; It’s time to go to school!
Teachers Were Freshman, Too.
School is like a home away from home. We spend most of our life in the four walls of a school. You don’t want it to be a waste. Make the best of out of every moment! Teachers are as close as you can get to a parent at school. They have been through many of the same things as we have, and have succeeded. You will, too.
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Get To Know Your Teachers.
It goes without saying that you need to get to know your teachers. Understanding their teaching styIes is a big deal. In order to succeed in any class, you should adjust your learning skills to their own ways of teaching. Be comfortable enough with them to ask for help! To get you off to a good start, I asked a few of our teachers what advice they have.
Give Your Screens A Break.
“I think Gen Z or Gen Alpha students need to spend less time on social media and playing video games. If they want to become more academically-focused, they need to keep in mind the goal they want to pursue in life,” said Dr. Otto, one of our Science teachers. “Also, one of the problems high-schoolers have now is they think technology will think for them – directly or indirectly. They need to do more reading and increase their cognitive thinking skills. Students need to have a balanced and well-rounded life. Play a little sports, be involved in a club. But mostly focus on your academic subjects, like reading, math, history and science. Students can use PDFs and virtual tutors if they don’t understand what’s going on in the classroom.”
Math teacher Mr. Norris says new Freshmen need to strike a balance between their academic lives and social lives.
“When it comes to keeping up your grades, don’t fall behind,” he said. “Always do your work, study and take notes. Lastly, study a little bit every day. Be well-rounded; there is more to school than just academics. Academics are a key part in anything, because there’s a lot of activities you won’t be able to participate in if your academics aren’t up to par. Being well-rounded can help when it comes to getting into college.”
Key Lesson: Learn How to Study the RIGHT way.
When you get to high school, studying and testing are a big fact of daily life. Polish up your note-taking and study skills. You’ll save time and perform better.
“A study strategy that I used in college was rewriting my notes when there was a lecture. This is especially helpful for history or biology. Don’t get behind,” continued Mr. Norris. “If you don’t understand something, let your teacher know.”
Bigger Consequences.
The last teacher I interviewed was Mr. David, our Informantion Technology teacher. Above all else, he wants incoming high-schoolers to understand that the consequences for failing a class are far more serious than in middle school. It’s never too late to plan for your career, either.
“A lot of middle-schoolers coming into ninth grade think there are no consequences for failing a class,” he said. “I want to let you know that you got to keep your grades up, or you’re going to be at David Thomas, night school, or in summer school. Focus on what you want to do in the future and go for that. At Creek, there are a lot of opportunities here to do something extra. If you want to go into nursing or IT, you can go to CTA, then enroll in ATC (Atlantic Technical College) when you’re a Junior and Senior. If you want to go into business, you can (…take classes) with me and Mr. Wiggins. Lastly, get involved with Ms. Rucker, sponsor of Junior Achievement. Just spend that extra time.”
