Last week we spoke about the dream becoming a reality…one where we see the HERMIES values combined with the Hermie SuperPowers.
Today I want to talk to you about the Softer skills we need to acquire to prepare us for the world after school.
Met die Matrieks wat oor ‘n week met hulle eksamens begin het ek so bietjie gaan nadink oor hoekom ons eksamens skryf en hoe dinge al so bietjie verander het…
So 20 jaar gelede het die persoon met die boekkennis die voordeel gehad bo die res wat nie die boekkennis gehad het nie. So hoe harder jy geleer het, en beter gememoriseer het, hoe beter die kans op sukses na skool. Ongelukkig is dit nog steeds so…die punte wat jy kry op skool is wat jou aanvanklik in die Universiteit, Kolloge of Tegnikon of self, net jou gewone werk inkry…maar dis waar dit stop. Die vraag is…Wat gaan jou by ‘n onderhoud…of binne in ‘n Maatskappy of Besigheid, die bevorderings geleentheid gee?
When you think of school, the 1st thing that comes to mind is textbooks, exams and marks…and Yes, knowledge is important, but let me remind you of something even more valuable than what is written in any textbook. At school you are learning the softer skills that will carry you through life. Skills like:
INTEGRITY – doing the right thing when no one is watching. CRITICAL THINKING – not just accepting things at face value, but asking questions and seeking understanding.
HARD WORK – pushing through even when you feel tired or discouraged.
…and perhaps most importantly,
RESILIENCE – the ability to deal with adversity, failure and setback and to bounce back even stronger!
Think about it: In 10 or 20 years, you may not remember the exact equation you studied, or the definition you memorized for a test. But what WILL remain with you forever is the character you built, the habits you formed, and the way you learned to treat people.
So Ja!…werk hard in die klas, gee jou heel beste vir die akademiese deel van skool. Maar moet NOOIT vergeet nie: your attitude, your integrity and your ability to persevere will often matter even more than what’s in your textbooks.
Spreuke 22:1 – “’n Goeie naam is verkieslik bo groot rykdom, egte innemendheid bo silwer en goud”
So let’s not just be students of textbooks…although what they expect from you during the exams is exactly what you have to write down in the paper to achieve the best marks possible…but Let’s be students of life as well…because the kind of person you are becoming – that’s the real lesson of school. We are way more concerned and impressed by WHO you become than WHAT you become.
PRAYER
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for putting each one of us in this specific school so that we can learn more than just the important academic content but also the valuable life lessons. Help us to grow and improve our (1) Integrity, (2) Critical thinking, (3) Hard work and to grow our (4) resilience in order to face any form of adversity. Help us to become better people today than who we were yesterday. Please assist those who are writing exams that they will have clarity of thought during the exams and discipline in preparing for those exams as well. We give you all the glory for all the opportunities and achievements.
AMEN