I am sure you all have seen on Social Media the phenomenal young man Jake Bailey from Christchurch Boys’ High School who delivered an amazing end of year speech as head monitor. He delivered his speech from a wheelchair after being diagnosed with cancer and said many pertinent statements which, for me coming from a private boys’ school, rang very true. However, one phrase he said particularly struck home with me and I decided to discuss it in class. Jake thanked his teachers for ‘demanding excellence’ from every student. It made me reflect, how often do we demand excellence from the children in such a fast-paced society? How often do we allow ‘good enough’ to suffice when, if given the time and effort, much more can be produced? How often do we allow the children to be good, when they can be great?
While I know some students will never be truly excellent, in the conventional understanding of the word, in all or any fields, surely we should recognise that getting that lap a fraction faster than yesterday, being kind to the new student, one extra sum correct or beating last week’s spelling score is a child’s excellence?
It is easy to fall in to the trap of wanting happiness for the children, but I question, surely we want so much more for them? And in gaining that more, there will be times of sadness, times of struggle, times of wanting to give up when really it is a time to rejoice in the bravery of resilience, determination and some plain old hard work. By allowing this, and not always rescuing children from their struggles, teaches a child so much more. They understand the reward of pushing through, not giving up; especially not just being ‘good enough’, and that being more excellent today than yesterday, is worth the struggle.
What an amazing young man to recognise that his teachers weren't 'picking on him' or 'not helping him' when things got hard, but allowed him to fight his own battles to be the excellent man he is today. And for the teachers; what a compliment and how inspiring.
If you haven’t seen this inspiring speech, please find the clip here.
That is all from me this week; let’s demand excellence.
