The two things I try to teach my students

 I teach my students lots of stuff — how to write clearly, how to read closely, and how to care about their world.

But this year, here are the two most important things I’m teaching.

1. To accomplish something big, you have to work hard to get it.

You can’t just dream it. You can’t just hope that it’ll happen. Rather, you must work hard every day — not just sometimes, not just when you feel like it.

2. You have to honor the commitments you make with people.

You can’t say one thing then do another. Never should you hide behind an excuse that “things came up.” Care about people who care about you.