Waitakere College News

Newsletter Issue 13

Are You a Driver or a Passenger?

We discuss at assemblies the role students play in their educational journey. We encourage students to ask themselves, "Are you a Driver or a Passenger?"

A Driver is a student who:
- Knows where they are going and has established goals.
- Has a plan or map for how to get there and uses a planner.
- Understands how long the journey will take and uses a calendar to track deadlines and milestones.
- Chooses their teammates wisely and builds effective teams for assignments and assessments.
- Controls their decisions and determines their next moves.
- Identifies other successful Drivers to collaborate with.

As a result, Drivers tend to achieve more, positively influence their peers, and ask questions that help them take charge of their learning journey.

A Passenger, on the other hand, is a student who:
- Waits for others to inform them about what's happening, having no clear goals.
- Is unsure of their destination and has lost track of their planner.
- Lacks awareness of deadlines, not utilizing a calendar effectively.
- Reacts to events unexpectedly, often feeling surprised or 'ambushed.'
- Is easily led and tends to team up with anyone, resulting in mixed outcomes.

As a result, Passengers often achieve less, rely on hope rather than preparation for assessments, and frequently find themselves uncertain about their next steps, leading to a frustrating learning journey.

Ask yourself, "Am I a Driver or a Passenger?" Evaluate your characteristics and strive to make the necessary changes to become a Driver.