Tuesday, May 29, 2012

One More Farewell to 2º BAC Students


Dear 2º BAC students,


Once again, it is that time of the year when I have to say goodbye to the senior students in my classes. It is not easy, I would like to tell you so many things, not only about English but about life in general...I feel we could / should have done so much more in our classes...but there just wash´t enough time. Anyway, in this post you´ll find plenty of practice for your university entrance exam: reading, listening, comprehension...

As many of you pointed out in your graduation speeches, finishing your studies at school is a turning point in your lives and, if I had to give you one piece of advice for your future, this would be it:





And if I could extend my advice a little longer, I would mention everything in the next video. Don´t get distracted by the title, "Wear sunscreen", it is not about summer, sunshine, holidays  or leisure time: it is about life.It´s seven minutes long but it is worth every single second. The original version is meant for citizens of the USA but the translation is adapted for citizens of the world - people like you; so click here if you´d rather watch it with the subtitles in Spanish





I guess I feel a little bit philosophical these days, so here is a story to help you keep your priorities straight in life. You get the video and the transcript so that those of you who have problems downloading the video can  read it and learn its lesson. The story is called A Jar of Life. The Secret to Keeping Your Priorities Straight





When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and fills it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES”.
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – God, family,
children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else — the small stuff.” he said.

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are
important to you…” he told them.
“So… pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled and said, “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”
And last, but not least, one more piece of advice: be positive:











Farewell 2011Farewell 2010

And now some memories of our classes this year - I took many more photos of you but I am afraid they are not very good so I decided not to include them here. I apologize to those of you who are not in any of the photos:










4 comments:

  1. ven venkatesh31 May, 2012

    Greetings mam , it's pretty clear from your blog that you are simply
    an outstanging teacher. The ones who are attending your classes are
    not the only lucky ones , there are many people like me who are
    fortunate enough to have been blessed to get your mails in to inbox.
    Your message for the students is clear and straight which will help
    them face the challenges of this competitive world. I thank you from
    the bottom of my heart for the noble work you are doing for your
    students . May God bless you with many victories and great happy
    moments. Looking forward to getting some insispational videos and
    messages from your blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much for your words, Ven. I am really flattered by them and, at the same time, I am glad that someone else -apart from my students- find my posts useful.

      Best wishes,
      Rosa

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  2. I hope at least a farewell entry like this in our graduation, is incredibly good. There are many good advices in this post, advices to be learned as soon as possible. The truth is that I was going to start preparing the oral exam, but nevertheless, I called an old friend of mine who is studying abroad for a coffee, I barely see him. "There’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

    One last thing, I have to apologize for my behaviour of the last class. I´m sorry.
    See you soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Emilio, I will try not to disappoint you when you graduate

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