Howdy, 2011!

I figured I’d give this post a “Texas” welcome. 😉

The last time I made a list of “New Year’s Resolutions” was sophomore year.

I remember going back to school after Winter Break and – in each class – having to write out my New Year’s Resolutions as an assignment. Personally, I think that writing any kind of resolutions should be up to the person themselves, because the things on that list won’t be done unless the person wants to actually do them. I understand teachers want their students to have and set goals for themselves – and to then follow through with those goals – but if they are assigned to us, chances of those things actually happening are slim. Aside from that, resolutions are sometimes personal.

One year, a teacher told us exactly what kind of resolutions to make:

  1. What do you want to change about yourself?
  2. What do you want to try?
  3. What good/bad habits to you want to break?

Sure, some of those things she had us answer were “logical”, but the first one? Why should we have to change ourselves? Why should students have to tell their teachers via a graded assignment what their New Year’s Resolutions are? Even worse – why did the assignments actually have to be read and graded?! Once, I wrote down that I wanted to make more friends and stop being so insecure about myself. The teacher that received the list crossed the two things out, and then wrote out to the side that my resolutions should be “more personal and things I can actually work on”. Whatever happened to teachers having positive attitudes and telling their students to be all they can be, to follow their dreams, etc.?

I promise you and my future students – I will never assign a stupid assignment like this.

When it comes to my own resolutions and doing them with free will, the stupid resolutions never happen! I don’t enjoy planning things like resolutions for myself. I prefer to live life as it comes. I would rather live life spur the moment than have everything planned out for me.

If you loved this post, please share or buy me a pretzel:

Comments on this post

Hi! I just wanted to let you know that the SOTM has started. The button is here along with the poll: https://is.gd/jVxfa Good luck!

Liz,

Wow. I can’t believe teachers give resolutions as a written assignment. I agree with you that’s a bit too personal. And where does that teacher get off telling you that your resolution isn’t good enough???

I know you will be a much better teacher than this. I hope you’ve had a good holiday and are looking forward returning to school in January. May your new year be full of wonderful surprises:~)

I agree with you, your resolutions should be up to you and no one else. 🙂 I would put nothing for the first question.

What do you mean the image doesn’t show? What browser are you using?

I remember having class work where we had to write new years resolutions. I think the questions your teacher set were just to help you think of resolutions. I know for a fact I had no idea what to write in mine lol!

But the crossing out and stuff you mentioned – I think that was really rude. None of my teacher’s actually marked my resolutions though. I sort of remember having to read them out though…

Hey happy new year 🙂
Do you want to join my SOTM? https://bit.ly/hZnrqH

@emily, Sorry, I don’t really join SOTM contests anymore! Thanks, though. 😛

I hate assignments like this – SO MUCH! You’d make a fantastic teacher, Liz. You know what’s right and practical and what just makes sense.

I can’t believe that teacher had the nerve to cross out what you wanted to change. I know you’ve had it in you to make more friends for some time. But that teacher could easily have hurt anyone and crushed anyone’s dreams if they crossed off something as simple as making more friends. Gosh. I don’t know, that just really hits me.

I hate assignments and tasks – much less GRADED ones – that ask you ‘what do you think’ or even more personal questions. What I think and what I feel cannot be marked wrong. It’s ridiculous. 😐

I think that people can change too. 🙂 People definitely have it in them and they just need hope. I’m a big believer in hope.

Oh haha, yeah. I have a friend whom I talk to on the phone sometimes, and there are REALLY LONG awkward silences. It usually is broken by ‘what are you doing…?’ Gosh. I will admit, it is very boring talking to him. I have no problems with my other friends though.

Haha I would much around and have a lot of drama in my Sims family if I made one. :3 I remember that whenever I played a game I would put my friends’ names as the characters too!

Happy new year! <333

Happy New Year Liz ^__^

I don`t even want to think about school.

What you have said– IS SO TRUE. Why does teachers have to interfere with your life like that. And to grade you based on that? Its like as if theyre judging you on who you are. And what if you have no resolutions? “I dont have any, sorry." Then youll get marked out. So it`s basically a force to make you come up with bs resolutions to please the teacher :P!

Your teacher- is a jerk. Mmhmm!

And you- have complete logic and I would so like my kid(s) in the future to be your student XD!

I wish you a happy 2011~

Why, howdy! Do Texans actually say that often, or is that just a stereotype?

I only ever got the New Year’s resolutions assignment in a French class where the teacher often asked us to write answers to personal questions like that in French. The teacher also encouraged lying when necessary – it was a language class, so as long as what we wrote made sense, it was all right. (Yay for pet dragons!) But yeah, it’s not nice for a teacher to ask such an assignment of you. The trick is to just tell lies on assignments – it’s not like they’re actually checking up on you.

I agree with your post. I don’t like making resolutions so much because I never follow them or even refer back to them. I do like setting goals though so I have things to look forward to and work on. Happy new year 🙂