Let's Talk Careers

Showing emotional courage

This week I have been thinking a lot about our Year 10 and 11 students who are preparing for their Semester Two exams. These exams will be the culmination of all their hard work and efforts over the course of 2024 and contribute significantly to their final grades for the year, but my thoughts have not been on the letter grades and percentages that will appear on their final report, but rather the emotional courage these students have demonstrated to get them to where they are. 

You may have heard your child tell you that they do not know how to study or that they feel overwhelmed by the mountain they have to climb to achieve their goals. From our point of view, this is simply an intellectual endeavour; learning is memory, recall application. Rinse and repeat. Easy! What we sometimes forget is that for new learners the experience of learning is mostly emotional. If you think back to the first time you gave a speech in front of a crowd, or got behind the wheel of a car you may not remember the words you spoke or the route you drove, but you probably remember how you felt.

Now that most of the preparatory work has been completed by our Year 10 and 11 students, it is important to acknowledge their courage in confronting a new challenge head-on. Recognising and celebrating the 'emotional courage' required to navigate the uncertainties of learning is undoubtedly worthwhile and should be added to their toolkit for future success.

I wish all Year 10 and 11 students facing examinations all the very best, I am confident that with their hard work beforehand that they will surprise themselves with what they know and what these examinations can demonstrate to them about their learning. 

Mrs Sharan Tagore

APEx, Careers and Curriculum Coordinator