Helping students find their motivation

It's the third week into a new school year at Marysville High School. Lazy days continue only as memories. Students drag their legs out of bed each morning. The appearance of disheveled students provides comic relief for those who notice.

Although a handful of students are excited to return to MHS, many are disgruntled. Comments made between friends in the hallways and bored faces in the classrooms prove that many students have not found enough motivation for school.

A poll of 100 students showed that 68 percent are happy to be in school, 21 percent are not, and the last 21 percent are undecided. Perhaps a small amount of friendly motivation can help out those who are disinterested.

Spanish teacher William Lyons has been working at MHS for 10 years. He confided his secret about staying excited for the new semester: "I try to make it fun so that the teens stay interested. One of the greatest parts of being a teacher is meeting teens that rise above the normal expectations of being teens. Most people think teens are selfish and immature, so it's really touching to meet those who aren't. The greatest thing is seeing kids years later that are doing well. It's just good."

Austin Gillming, a junior, sat pensively in "Sr. Lyons'" fifth-period Spanish class. "I do like being here. I like the people, the teachers and the classes. My favorite class is photography; the teacher is nice and funny and the students are good people. And I like the new building. Everything here says: 'Progress!' I hope to come back next year." The "new building" Austin referred to is the math and science Bryan Building.

Rachel Goodman, a senior, expressed her happiness with a shout in the hallway. "Senior year so far has rocked! I'm ecstatic. I love the knowledge I get each year. I'm really excited." Rachel is a returning member of the Academic Decathlon team. "This year is going to be so fun! I'm ready."

Charli Townsend, a junior, enjoyed the sunlight with her friends during lunch. "I like coming back to school," she admitted. "I like the routine and being able to see my friends in classes. Learning and knowledge is important to me. ... I like all of the academics."

"My favorite part is definitely hanging with friends during lunch," laughed Gerardo Quintero, a sophomore.

"I didn't like school before, but now I do like it. Well, I like it most of the time," said Roxanna Diltz, a freshman. "My favorite part is seeing my friends. Health class is pretty fun, too. My teacher is nice."

There are certainly a great number of students who are happy to be back — and learning — in school. With a mixture of dedicated teachers and staff, amiable students, a new science and math building and knowledge galore, hopefully all will find reasons to be excited about another promising year at Marysville High School.

Chynna Martinez is a senior at Marysville High School. Her column appears every sixth week in Education.