Before enrolling in the program, I heard horror stories about this program from lots of people. A few teachers have deemed it "the most difficult thing they have ever done in their life". One teacher even told me "I would rather go through child labor without epidural than do Procert". Nice.
I was kind of excited to find out what my perspective would be. Would I find it SUPER difficult, sorta hard, or do-able? It's been 5 years since I've been a student and not a teacher, so I was eager to find out what kind of a student I am.
On the first day of class, I raised my hand to ask a question, and kind of talked my way to an answer. Afterwards, the teacher said a quick one-liner, "Wow-you are one smart cookie, Megan". My face turned red after she said it, and for some reason, it meant THE WORLD to me. I thought to myself, "ya, I'm smart. This will be easy for me!"
Now, I am halfway through the program. It's not so bad. Ever since I internalized the idea that I "might" be smart enough to do this, everything has felt really do-able. It's so funny that it just took one comment from my teacher, and I feel like I can handle anything she gives me.
It really reminds me how important those little gems of reinforcement can be to my own students--and to anyone, really. When someone believes something about you, you start to believe it yourself.
Oh, and another thing that makes my Procert class AWESOME is that my class thinks I look like Giada from Food Network. I think I can see the resemblence. I might be a little more bubbly, though.
3 comments:
I love this post, Meg! The power of kind words never ceases to amaze me.
It's amazing how easy it is to fall into criticism as teachers. "I have to tell them how to fix this!" often crosses my mind, and I sometimes forget to make note of all the extraordinary thoughts and words my students put on paper. I'm trying to get better at this as the semester rolls downhill into Christmas break.
Thanks for the reminder :).
Ahh,
The underestimated value of a kind and timely word! I feel like I've just been able to receive a few gems of mine own, and it's crazy how empowering it can be!
So, awesome job and thanks for the reminder to use my words wisely. Plus, I totally think you look like Giada. Seriously. ;)
Sorry! I don't think you look like Giada at all! Except maybe her smile resembles yours a little. In my opinion, you have the edge in the "looks" department! As to smarts....you are very quick and very talented, and together with His help, you can accomplish anything He puts before you! Never let yourself be intimidated, especially in your own mind! Be empowered by your achievements. Hugs from me.
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