The Power of Encouragement

This week marked a year since I took the lead in the classroom as a student teacher.  Naturally, I’m wishing that I had my own classroom full of students to teach and encourage.  At the same time, my week started with the opportunity to substitute a middle school social studies class---- It was AMAZING!    As my story continues to unfold, this was a reminder to keep the course.  It also has me reflecting on one of the most powerful moments of my student teaching experience.

Student teaching is by far the most difficult obstacle I’ve ever overcome.   No matter what anyone told me I never felt good enough.   Yet, one of the greatest things about being a student teacher was that I had a fellow student teacher down the hall.    This might sound strange but, it’s always easier to be brave because someone else believes in you or because someone else is along side of you--- even when you don't know them well.   My fellow student teacher taught math and when we met that’s the only thing I knew about him.    Nonetheless, a first year student teacher on my team had encouraged me early on to talk with him about our experience throughout the semester.  So, I did.

Our supervising professor always observed us on the same day.  So at lunch on that first day I wrote him an e-mail that said,  “ You’ll be fine and whatever happens today, I want you to know, that I really really struggled in high school math and that’s an understatement.   I don’t even know the content you’re brave enough to teach!”

It was the beginning of a friendship that led to many more check- ins with each other. Sometimes we vented about assignments and sometimes about snow on opposite sides of town.   We didn’t know too much about one another but we enjoyed the journey together.

On our last day of observation, we crossed paths in the hallway on the way to our classrooms.  We didn’t stop, instead there was this natural moment for a high five   with a “Hey we are  also done!  It was AWESOME!    A true example of how encouragement comes full circle.

And when we finished, I got a text that read, “ You’ve been really encouraging!”  It brought me to tears. As a teacher, leader, and thinker in my community I’ve always aimed to be an encourager--- if I'm not encouraging and helping others as a teacher, what's the point?!

 No matter where we are on our journey there’s always as an opportunity to encourage each other. So even on the days when you don’t feel good enough or brave enough to keep your course....Don’t quit!  You might be the reason someone else gets to the place they’d always dreamed they’d be!