My Favorite Subject in High School: Intro to Life

The pythagorean theorem, the actions that lead to the first world war, when to use there, their, and They’re. All things that I’ve learned from the worn pages of my high school text books. Lessons instilled in our brains, promised to help us succeed in life. But in reality the information only mattered within the walls of Key West High School.

Don’t get me wrong—the lessons helped on tests like the ACT and SAT, the ones that supposedly decide our futures. But how many people have succeeded without scoring high on those tests, or even without graduating high school at all? The truth is, textbook information only goes so far. You use it sitting at a desk, pen in hand, scantron in front of you. But the important things you learn in high school don’t come from the books—they come from those who teach it to you.

Some teachers make it clear that they’re teaching you about life, not just grammar or equations. Others share their wisdom in more discrete ways. Like the English teacher who stayed patient even when the class wouldn’t calm down—never raising her voice, never crumbling under frustration. “Take control of the situation; don’t let the situation take control of you,”

Or the teachers who assigned seats that felt like light-years away from your only friend in class—only for you to end the year surrounded by new ones. “Don’t be afraid of change. You may lose something good, but you may gain something better.”.

Some sat down with the class and told you stories of how they grew up, their mistakes, and what they should’ve done differently. Most of the time, we asked for those stories just to stall an assignment, but we always ended up learning more than we expected.

These lessons go far beyond those plain classroom walls but into the real world. I can’t tell you what y=mx+b is for but I can say that my teacher was right, “being smart isn’t enough”.