by Jim Hague

The purpose of this podcast is to guide students and young adults to the next phase in life. And while my target audience is teens and young adults.

I hope parents and guardians will listen as well.

What qualifies me? Well, I’m a high school teacher.

• My name is Mr. Jim Hague and 
• I teach CTE courses in digital media arts
  • Web Design
  • Graphic arts
  • Video production
• Love my job. I love my students, all 160 of them.

I’m also an entrepreneur.

• 25 years
• Own business

also a family man

• I’ve got a nine-year-old son at the time of this recording
• Been married to my wife for many many years

I bring a unique blend

The purpose behind this podcast

• To help students and teenagers from all walks of life all over the world
• My mission is to encourage students to live their lives to the fullest
• I believe the older generation has an obligation to forewarn the younger generation on what’s to come and more importantly, how to handle situations that are challenging
• We’ve been your age, you haven’t been my age.

 In life….

• Does it begin in high school, yes.
• There are underlying messages you will get that you alone shape.
• It’s not about…
• It’s about….

What is the purpose of high school? 

• Loaded question
• Well now that I look back at my highschool days, Basically just a blip of time
• I do have a good memory and bad ones possibly more than I care to remember
• Realize that those days had more of an impact on me than I realized.

• Being a high school teacher, I see a lot of things, lots of drama in having to deal with students in their lives which results in heartbreak and losses. But I also see lots of triumphs, success.. Students who overcome their obstacles and  graduate with high honors.

• So I talk about, ‘what’s the purpose behind high school, it’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times…..
  • Memories of my high school are rather small
  • Move on, meet other people
  • But only until now, in my 50s, did I realize how high school has served me.
    
• In high school
  • I did not have a role model.
  • I did not have a teacher that impacted me.
  • There were some teachers I liked, and respected
  • As far as friends are
    
• So why are you in high school? There are reasons for it. 
  • Have To’s :
    1.  It’s the law until your 18
    2. Because parents / guardians tell you so
    3. Social Reasons
       
  • Get To’s
    1. These are opportunities that are presented to you for your growth, your well-being, and your happiness.
    2. Even the challenges that you face, the GET TO attitude will guide you through it.
    3. I get to help the student who is depressed or does not believe in herself.
       
  • A ‘have to’ is resistance. You really don’t want to be there. The day is a drag.
  • The Get To is a sense of honor, trust, you see the benefits. You feel blessed.

• Be Open to the FIVE  Get To Goals in High School
  
  • NUMBER 1 : Be Open to the End Results
    1. My experience : how I had to go to college.
    2. College, Military, Work, Training at a Vocational
    3. My Day, its college and that’s it
    4. Very limiting
    5. Military : Very technical
    6. Work : Go for it
       1. Can always expand later
       2. Can always switch jobs
    7. Vocation
    8. Life is too big
       
       
  • NUMBER 2 : Expand Your Horizons so you can take the first step to your calling.
    1. Take an interest in any course, especially electives.
    2. Do not limit yourself to the typical science, math, english, history.
       Those are core courses you have to take.
    3. Take course that expand your mind
    4. Graphics, EMT, Fire Technology, Culinary, Art, Ceramics, Theater.
    5. You never know what you may discover
    6. Culinary
       
  • NUMBER 3 : Learning to Learn
    1. Most important
    2. World changes and you have to keep up
    3. My experience in high school has no place now.
    4. The stuff that you learn to day maybe obsolete tomorrow.
       
  • NUMBER 4 : Discernment with your peers
    1. Judge who you hang with
    2. You show me your 4 best friends and I’ll show you your future.
    3. Peer pressure
    4. Wanting to be within the ‘in’ crowd
    5. Ernesto and Kevin
       
  • NUMBER 5 : Always Know There Are More Chances
    1. High School is a bubble
    2. Life does not end in high school, it doesn’t even really begin there.
       It’s part of a set up
    3. If you come to the realization that you should have done better there are other chances so don’t beat yourself up.

As educators I think we need to guide the GET TOs.