Rules of Life

Whether Bill Gates or Steve Jobs actually included these rules in a speech or not is irrelevant. The following "rules of life" are definitely interesting and worth reading. Wouldn't it be great if we operated under these rules? So why aren't we? Are we scared of parents? Are we scared to make the tough decisions? The decisions that need to be made? If a capable student is getting all F's, why are we allowing that kid to play sports? If a kid is on ICU for 5 assignments, why should they get to go watch the MS play and not stay back and do their work, which they chose not to do the first time? Are we afraid they will feel badly about themselves and their self-esteem will be injured? Are we afraid we are going to get a parent complaint? Parent calls in: "Why wasn't my child allowed to go watch the MS play?" "Your child has 5 missing assignments." End of call and conversation, unless that parent wants to talk about how they can help get those assignments done. In my relatively short time as a teacher, it seems teachers have the least amount of power out of anybody in this game. It seems that parents and students are in charge and not the teachers, who should be. Don't get my wrong, I am a huge advocate for the student, I just think perhaps a little more toughness is required sometimes.  Anyway, check out the rules below. It's a good read. 

     RULE 1
     Life  is not fair - get used to it.

     RULE 2
     The  world won't care about your self-esteem. The world
     will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you  feel
     good about yourself.

     RULE 3
     You  will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out
     of high school. You won't be a vice president with
     car phone, until you earn  both.

     RULE 4
     If  you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a
     boss. He doesn't have tenure.

     RULE 5
     Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your
     grandparents had a different word for burger flipping
     they
     called it Opportunity.

     RULE 6
     If  you mess up,it's not your parents' fault, so don't
     whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

     RULE 7
     Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as
     they are now. They got that way from paying  your bills,
     cleaning your clothes and  listening to you talk about
     how cool  you are. So before you save the rain forest
     from the parasites of your parent's generation, try
     delousing the closet in your own room.


     RULE 8
     Your  school may have done away with winners and losers,
     but life has not. In some schools they have  abolished
     failing grades and they'll  give you as many times as
     you want to  get the right answer. This doesn't bear the
     slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

     RULE 9
     Life  is not divided into semesters. You don't get
     summers off and very few employers are interested in
     helping you find yourself. Do that on your own  time.

     RULE 10
     Television is NOT real life. In real life people
     actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to  jobs.

     RULE 11
     Be  nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for
     one.