Here, let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true: Teachers? Teachers make a difference! Now what about you?
Taylor MaliRead
No graduation speaker will ever tell you that the future is anything but uncertain. It never is. But graduations need not only be obsessed with looking ahead; a graduation can be a day on which we turn back and trace our steps to see how we ended up where we are.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The future is inherently uncertain, but graduations allow us to reflect on our past journeys.
In this quote, Taylor Mali emphasizes the importance of recognizing that while the future remains unpredictable, graduations offer a unique opportunity to reflect on the experiences and choices that have shaped our current selves. Instead of solely focusing on what lies ahead, we should also appreciate the paths we've traveled to reach this moment, acknowledging both our achievements and the challenges we've overcome.
Themes
FutureReflectionGraduationUncertaintyJourney
In practice
Example use cases
During a graduation speech, one could use this quote to remind students to cherish their growth and experiences.
More from Taylor Mali
All quotes →I implore you, I entreat you and I challenge you to speak with conviction. To say what you believe in a manner that bespeaks the determination with which you believe it. Because contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker, it is not enough these days to simply question authority—you've got to speak with it too.
Taylor MaliRead
I grew up writing thank-you notes. Real, honest-to-goodness, pen-and-ink, stamped and posted letters. More than simple habit, it's about what the commitment to expressing your thoughts and feelings in writing says about the character of the writer. About the joy such notes bring to the reader.
Taylor MaliRead
Read to your children all of the time_x000D_ Novels and nursery rhymes_x000D_ Autobiographies, even the newspaper_x000D_ It doesn't mater; it's quality time_x000D_ Because once upon a time _x000D_ We grew up on stories in the voices in which they were told _x000D_ We need words to hold us and the world to behold us _x000D_ For us to truly know our souls
Taylor MaliRead
One of the most important things that teachers teach students is you, you can work harder. You are mentally tougher than you think.
Taylor MaliRead
If you've ever been to a poetry slam, you know that the highest scoring emotion is self-righteous indignation: how dare you judge me. So in that way, the poem, 'What Teachers Make,' is an absolutely formulaic slam poem designed to allow me to get up on my soap box and say, 'Let me tell you what really makes me angry.'
Taylor MaliRead
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