Do not let PSLE grades define who I am

Today is the time of the year again- the day our beloved children/ students will be receiving their very 1st 'major' report card. Thinking of this, I was brought back to 16 years ago where I was too part of this 'jittery' occasion. What made it worse was that I have a twin sister who was also receiving her results alongside me. As expected, she did way better than I did. I was then put to shame and all kinds of comparisons on the spot. I felt like a failure! Thankfully, as a determined individual who then decided that GRADES DO NOT DEFINE ME, I picked myself up and look, how far I have come!

Today, I would like to urge everyone (especially parents) to put down your judgement, check in with your children to find out how they are feeling and lastly, pat them on their backs, celebrate their efforts and not the results. Do bring them out for a good meal, listen to them and their thoughts and guide them in the discussion of the different options available. Quoted from Annie Tan, a freelance writer, "Your success and happiness will be measured by your grace and resilience in dealing with the many ups and downs throughout life. How you respond to each triumph or disappointment will shape you as a person, friend and parent." Finally, let them know that PSLE is just a checkpoint and not the endgame, that 3 digit on the result slip does not matter in the long run.

Here's wishing all my students and all the others best of luck for their results! Please know that I am very proud of each of you for coming this far! <3

Reference

Tan, A. (2019). Commentary: What I would tell my 12-year old self about PSLE results. Retrieved from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/psle-results-highest-lowest-scores-school-cut-off-points-stress-12103118?cid=FBcna&fbclid=IwAR0itHDf6R3BVpTYMgcOsTJWmfgHbXiWyiKd2sx0UgCpG88s-2UQ3C3TZDc