Thursday, January 15, 2015

Compliments Can Make a Difference

We received an email from a Bettendorf High School student and thought we should share her insights with everyone...

"We all secretly like compliments, even if we disagree with the flattering remark. Think about how a simple compliment can change your whole attitude. How it positively impacts your self confidence, even if it's only for one second. Now, think about that one time someone complimented you, and you never forgot what they said, because it really meant something. Think about how it hit you hard, and how you can't seem to overlook it. So pass that good feeling forward. Sure, an appearance compliment is something nice to receive, but you wanna know what's even better? A compliment about what's on the inside, what you admire about their personality, or that they have a kind heart. When someone notices the unseen traits that one pertains, it's a more meaningful thought. So, go out and compliment the girl that has a unique mind. The boy that has a great sense of humor, but goes unnoticed. Tell her that you admire her positive attitude or his ambitious perspective on succeeding in life. A compliment that comes from the heart, goes to the heart.

I've decided to write thank you notes to teachers that have impacted my life in a positive way. I feel that it is important that they know, how they have given me guidance and advice. How they have encouraged me to become more confident and an even harder working student. Most importantly, how they support all of their students, and that their dedication to helping students strive, does not go unnoticed."


Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Encouraging Letters for Final Exam Week

This is a great story about one high school student named Mason, who tried to take some of the edge off of final exams. "The night before finals, I wrote words of encouragement onto pieces of paper and put them into envelopes. The next day I went around the school handing the letters out to random people so that they would have some determination for their tests. There were about 50 letters and everyone seemed to enjoy reading the small sentence of encouragement. I definitely plan on doing this act again next finals week!" Great job Mason!  Thanks for providing you classmates with an extra dose of optimism before their final exams!