Aria

Sometimes while I sit in class, I look up at my teachers and imagine what they were like when they were looking up at their teachers. Were they the type to jot down every single word or did they find themselves staring at the wall like I often do during the last block of the day? When they look back on those years, is there anything that they would have done differently? And if so, what could they tell me that could help me avoid some of the pitfalls that they might have fallen into? This summer, I decided to talk to some Upper School teachers and ask the question:

What do you wish you had known when you were in high school?

Ms. Enck, Art Teacher

I grew up in a really pretty small town in Massachusetts. And I was dying to leave. I wish that I had known that I could be excited to travel, meet new people, and explore the world… WHILE enjoying my school, my town, my classmates, teachers, and family. I was counting down the days when I could have been making the most of them.

Ms. Wills, Science Teacher and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator

I wish I had known that things like SAT scores, college admissions, and grades would no longer be relevant once I graduated. I spent a lot of time feeling stressed about those things, but when I think back to my high school experience I don’t remember many of my grades or even all the schools I applied to at that time. What I remember most were the fun times I had with my friends and classroom experiences such as acting out book scenes, creating art, and working in the science lab. If I could go back in time, I would have reserved more mental energy to create those memorable experiences. I also felt that I had to decide who I would be for the rest of my life while I was in high school. This led to a perfectionist mindset, making me hone in only on the things I had experience with or felt I was good at instead of doing things like trying a new sport or taking elective classes. I wish I would have known that high school is a time to be exploratory. Adolescence doesn’t end until you’re about 25 years old. High school should be a time to explore all of your different interests and try new things, instead of feeling like you have to lock into a profile that works for college admissions. While attending college is a great experience, there is so much more to life. The things that are enduring are personal development and relationships.

Mr. Tkach, Mathematics Teacher

First, it would have helped me to know how much honor would turn out to mean to me.  Beyond the obvious things to avoid, like cheating on exams and plagiarizing, there are a thousand tiny situations that are actually integrity tests.  Each one is a chance to make yourself a little better or a little worse.  Small good choices add up over time, as do small failures to make good choices.  Hold to the upper way, even in the face of unpleasant consequences, and your future self will thank you.

Second, it would have helped me to know what it means to learn a thing fully, especially in math.  Potomac students are lucky to have a program that emphasizes and rewards deep, thorough understanding.  That kind of education would have significantly smoothed my transition to college math and given me important general habits of mind that, as it was, I developed only later.

Third, it would have helped me to have known my method of talking to people.  But some things require more life experience.

Ms. Jaeger, Spanish Teacher and Director of Teaching Fellows Program

I wish I had known……

1. that all families are complicated and not just mine. I spent too much time trying to hide challenges rather than opening up, sharing, and learning about other students’ family stories. These conversations did not happen until college.
2. that being kind is much more important than being successful and/or popular. Looking out for others, especially when it goes against the beliefs and/or behaviors of the majority, takes courage and is so worthwhile.
3. that my grandparents wouldn’t be around forever. I missed out on not soaking up enough of their full history and wisdom. There is so much to learn from our ancestors’ rich experiences. 
4. that not getting into my first choice college was not a crisis. I enjoyed my college experience even more than my high school experience. 
5. that it is a much bigger world than I had thought and that my private school classmates and I were much less important, interesting, and talented than those outside of our independent school, privileged bubble. Another lesson one learns in college.

Ms. Page, K-12 Chair World Languages Dept. and MS/IS/US School Spanish Teacher

Time goes by quickly and you need to do the things that truly matter to you.

Ms. Hellman, History Teacher

As for things that I wish I had known in high school, that is a rather long list. I think I could put things on there that many adults would include, such as coming to realize that I didn’t really need to obsess over every last grade or that college choice would not matter quite as much as I thought it did. Yet, the main thing I wish I had known is more amorphous. I wish I had been more willing to talk with other people, and to reach out to make connections with my classmates and with my teachers. As a rather shy person, I was not always very comfortable with starting conversations. If I had pushed beyond my discomfort a little more to talk with people, I would have enjoyed high school more and I would have had a broader circle of friends. So, my main advice to any high schooler would be to test the boundaries of the places where you do feel uncomfortable and to find ways to connect to classmates in new ways.