One of the most critical aspects of being an educator is inspiring students to excel. While some teachers and school administrations try to make excelling about being competitive, the focus should always be on recognizing excellence. The best awards are traditionally given to students who excel out of a desire to be their own personal best and work diligently at achievement. If you are involved in recognizing excellence in your organization, please visit edco.com to discover how you can reward an achiever.
In most cases, highly driven students excel in their education as part of a greater goal to be their best and make a difference in the world. This is a vital component of true excellence. While competition is a natural part of life, the greatest level of excellence is achieved when students strive to thrive as part of their personal goals to better themselves and the world.
In fact, many valedictorians are humble when they receive their awards and they take the responsibility of inspiring others as a vital part of their obligation as achievers. Being a high achiever should always come with gracious acceptance and respectable recognition.
The importance of educators is to always ensure that those that achieved are recognized with respect while being encouraged to help mentor other students. One of the primary criteria of being a high achiever is being able to inspire others to find ways to achieve in a realm they are capable of.
The Common Goal of Achievers
One of the common things that stands out among students who achieve is the drive to succeed. While there may be some frustration for students who do not achieve on the same level as high achievers, neither should be discouraged by educators or be treated as less valuable. The world is filled with so many needs and so many people who can fill them well. This reality gives room for many levels and areas of achievement across the globe.
Each student has their own goals and gifts to offer the world and they should be applauded and encouraged for whatever those gifts are. Achievement academically is a valued goal that all students should seek. But failure to be the “best” student in a class should not be a sign of being less of a person.
When academic awards are given, there should be recognition for all students who strive to achieve their personal best as well as exceptional notation given to the student who achieved the highest achievement. In the education world today, high achievers are often left unrecognized or under-recognized because educators and administrators fear they are making other students feel less valued.
The important balance is to strive to celebrate each student who strives while giving extra recognition to those who excel. This allows for a great opportunity to continue to inspire each student to find their personal best in whatever areas their capabilities lie. It is widely recognized that not every student can excel in traditional educational pursuits.
Recognition for Achievement
No matter what areas of excellence a student achieves in, there is a significant importance to recognize all student achievers who excel. These students should always be encouraged and lauded for their commitment and dedication to scholastic endeavors. High achievers are often the ones who go on to bring the world some of the best solutions to problems and the most advanced inventions and treatments in the world of science and medicine.
Failure to recognize a student’s exceptional gifts is a failure for the world. Each time someone strives for perfection, it proves man’s ability to achieve it. In children, this can be exceptionally powerful because it gives them the ability to dream about their future and what their own possibilities can be.
Appreciation for the gifts of others is at the heart of what makes humanity profound.
This should be an important threshold that all educational platforms encourage and enhance. With K-12 students this is especially important. Celebrating exceptionalism through awards builds respect for others and encourages them to seek their own personal excellence. This helps each person better examine what role they can play in bettering the world with their own gifts.
Educators and administrators should be pleased to participate in ensuring the rich tradition of recognizing excellence continues with their students. The effort by school educators and administrators over generations to recognize students has played a significant role in encouraging countless students to find their personal best and make a positive difference in the world.
