As high school students, there are many things we have to balance. We have homework, extracurricular activities, work, friendships and more. This balancing act can be especially tough if you were born with a biting tongue like me. When you are full of wit, controlling what comes out of your mouth can be a difficult task. However, it’s important that you remember to filter yourself, otherwise you could get into a lot of trouble. Here are some helpful tips to assist you in controlling your sassy comments.

First, learn how to filter. When we were younger, we were taught to think before we speak. This hasn’t changed. In fact, if you are overly sassy, this lesson is more important than ever. As you think of something witty to say, try to modify it a few times before you actually say it out loud. If you do this, you won’t say the meanest thing that comes to your mind and you’ll avoid hurting someone’s feelings (hopefully).

The second way to tame your tongue is to remember who you are. As a sassy student, it is vital for your survival that you realize you’re not in charge. Teachers, principals and other staff members deserve respect, so unleashing your feisty remarks on them can be a poor decision. If you ever find yourself tempted to deliver a devastating blow to a staff member, try to think about the consequences first.

In middle school, I was having a talk with an administrator. During our conversation, I told him that he should be talking to another student instead of me. He found this really offensive and called me down because of it.

Although the consequences weren’t that serious for me, things won’t always work out that way. However, as long as you remember to give adults the respect they deserve, you won’t have any trouble on your hands.

The last way to control your sassy commentary is to have good judgment. This tip may sound easy, but it is actually extremely difficult. There are many factors that affect whether or not you should say something. You have to think about how sensitive someone is, how old they are, how they feel that day, how close to you they are and even more. If all of these elements work in your favor, then you should be able to say something sassy. But, if you’re speaking to an overly sensitive adult that you just met, spewing your hate fire at them might not be a good judgment call.

I remember a sassy situation that happened to me in math class my sophomore year. The teacher was going over the homework assignment and I was bored and daydreaming. Even though I wasn’t disrupting the class, the teacher was upset that I wasn’t paying attention.

“Josiah, click your heels and come back home,” she said.

Well, this comment did not sit well with me because I felt like she was trying to embarrass me. I immediately made a judgment call and fired back.

“Do not talk to me like that. It is not ok for you to try to embarrass students by calling them out in front of everyone.”

It was a split-second decision that could have gone horribly wrong for me. However, I knew this teacher would be able to take it, so everything ended up working out after this.

Being sassy can definitely be a disadvantage for students who are trying to get through school without getting in trouble. But if you remember to filter yourself, to recognize that you’re just a student and to have good judgment, getting through school will be a breeze. Now, if only I could finish my algebra homework.