What messages do students pay attention to? Does anything that we say stick? I was able to discover part of the answer years ago during a career and life lesson taught to 6th grade students. I asked them to imagine living 25 years later. I asked many questions like what job would they have, now would the get to work, what is their greatest accomplishment and what makes them special.

The last question asked was “What advice would you give 6th grade students?”

There were several versions of answers. A few highlights:

• Keep up the good work and you will see that hard work pays off.
• Don’t give up ever!
• Try your best and get a good education.
• You need a good education to get through life.
• Believe in yourselves.
• Think ahead of what you want to be and make your own decisions.
• Strive for what you believe in and you’ll accomplish it.
• Follow your dream and never give up on it.
• Take care of your life the way you want it to be.
• Just keep on trying and don’t let nothing get in your way.
• Don’t smoke. Grow up to be somebody. Do not do drugs. Try to get somewhere and be happy of what you did accomplish.
• If you have a dream, catch it and run with it.
• Do your work and finish college and have a nice future.
• Achieve what you believe in, strive for what you want to achieve.
• Never give up on your goal you want to accomplish, because you might accomplish it.
• Seize the day, go for it and don’t let anyone stop you.
• Never give up, just keep trying.
• Be whatever you want to be.

After the students shared their answers to that question I challenged them with Are you walking the talk, are you practicing what you preach, are you following your own advice?Most of them said yes.

My challenge to them challenged me. Am I living the way I say for others to live?

The students see how we live and they do listen to what we say and what we don’t do. May we always walk our talk.