Did you realize December is almost over? Before we know it, 2014 will be in the past!
How do you feel about 2014? Are you relishing in your amazing accomplishments?
Or, are you remembering everything you didn’t finish and regretting all of your
mistakes?
It’s human nature to want to be happy and to want
success. Sadly, it’s also human to make
mistakes and to make excuses for our mistakes.
The essential question is: Do we just give up and perpetuate our own negativity
OR do we learn from our failures and adjust our lives to improve our quality of
life?
I teach high school and I have many students who just want
to give up. If something isn’t easy, if
it requires time, effort, and creativity, they just don’t want to put in the
work. They don’t want to struggle and
endure that sickening feeling that they failed.
But, I don’t give up on them. I
can’t give up on them. If I give up on
them and allow them to fail, then they continue that downward spiral and learn
that it’s easier to not try anything that’s difficult.
So, I keep telling them that they have a genius within them;
they are all different, yet they are all special in their own ways. I try to accommodate for students and
encourage them to the point that they know I won’t take NO for an answer. I write FAIL on the board on a regular
basis. My students know that it stands
for First Attempt in Learning. I share with them my mistakes and how I
learned from my mistakes. I try to use
sports as examples. “Can you make a
3-pointer in basketball if you have never held a basketball in your hand?” Some
students make smart-alecky responses to try to show that they are awesome at
sports by saying “I never miss a shot!” or “I make 3-pointers all the time”
And, that’s when I remind them that they have to practice to make those
shots. I share other examples, using
other sports and other hobbies, like playing instruments or videogames. I even asked my students to think about how
many hours they spend playing games on their cellphones before they master
them. Slowly, as I focus on FAIL throughout the first semester, I realize that
some students are listening and are learning.
I’m proud of them. Yet, I know my
journey continues because there are so many more students to reach. I don’t give up. I keep encouraging and
motivating.
I made a goal for myself that 100% of my students would pass
my class this semester. I knew it would
be difficult because many of my students came in telling me that they hate
English and they won’t do homework.
Well, I told them I don’t assign homework. They cheered.
But, I do expect them to work hard in my class for those 55 minutes that
I have them. To some students, that
meant the work would be challenging, while to others it meant that they just
had to show up to my class. My students
quickly learned that I demanded participation.
I taught and I wanted them to learn.
I facilitated conversations and I wanted them to share their own
viewpoints. Throughout the semester we
tackled big issues and we learned to collaborate together, feeling more and
more comfortable in the classroom. And,
when I made mistakes, I showed them how to deal with them effectively and
calmly.
Sometimes students didn’t
complete work, so I taught them that not working productively in my classroom,
resulted in them taking the work home, or coming in during advisory to finish
up the work, or staying after school.
These are natural consequences. I
told them that when I don’t finish my grades or lesson planning, I have to take
it home. It takes time away from my family, but I know I have to get it done
somehow. Natural consequences are a part
of life. I don’t give up; and I want
them to learn to persevere as well.
Why am I reflecting on this concept of Never Giving Up? Why do I mention FAIL and how its concept
help me motivate and encourage students?
Well, it’s thanks to Maria! I was
at a Christmas Party last night, with some people I knew and many I didn’t
know. We were reflecting on our year, since she was one of the few people I did
recognize and we did have a few things in common. We both work full time and have
children. We both have husbands who work
full time and are successful in their careers. Our husbands are both into
classic cars; so they talk about cars whenever they get together.
As we continued to reminisce over the events in our lives
that occurred in 2014, she asked me why I don’t show pride in my
accomplishments. For a moment I was
taken aback by that comment? I am proud
of my accomplishments. I take pride in
everything I do and I work very hard to make sure I’m a great teacher, great
mother, great wife, great daughter, etc.
So, I wasn’t sure how to respond so I just stated “I just don’t want
people to think I’m bragging.” Boy, did she have a comeback line for that one! “You
deserve to celebrate yourself. Life is short. Enjoy it.” As I’m listening to
what she is saying, I’m beginning to realize that I do spend most of my time
taking care of others and encouraging others.
I motivate my students, my children, my husband, my colleagues, my
friends, etc. I congratulate them on
their accomplishments and encourage them to try harder when the results aren’t
perfect.
Well, she didn’t stop there.
And, that is proof that she is a true friend. An acquaintance would just give wise advice
and move on to the next conversation. There’s
nothing wrong in that. Give great advice
to one person, move on to another and continue making a difference. That is totally awesome and
awe-inspiring. Yet, Maria didn’t stop
there. She pushed and pushed that I need
to celebrate. She suggested having a
party or going out to dinner. She even
volunteered to babysit my kids for me.
Wow, she really meant what she was saying. Yet, our conversation had to stop because one
of her kids needed a diaper change and one of mine wanted some juice. So we parted ways.
But, only for a moment. Later, as my husband and I were gathering our kids and saying our goodbyes to
those we knew at the party, Maria wouldn’t let me go unless I promised that we
would get together to figure out how to celebrate my accomplishments. She even told my husband that we had such an
amazing 2014 and we deserve to be celebrated and we should take pride in our
accomplishments. At this point, some
people would be annoyed because she was being very insistent. Yet, I was very proud of her because she wasn’t
giving up. She was determined to make
sure I got her message and that I took her advice. It was a moment that warmed my heart, a
moment I won’t forget. She was
right. I teach that lesson every day to
my students. “Don’t give up.” “Keep trying.” “Learn from your mistakes.” “Be
proud of your good accomplishments.” “You
can do it.” And, it was my turn to be the student. It’s a lesson I needed to learn. It’s something I must work on…soon. Thank you, Maria. It’s a Christmas present that is priceless
and unforgettable.
As I reflect on 2014, I realize that:
- I am blessed to have amazing children who are healthy and happy
- I am lucky to have a husband who supports and encourages me on a daily basis
- I am grateful that my parents are still around, though battling illnesses
- I am destined to be an educator who makes a difference
- I am proud of my students (despite challenges and revisions) because 100% passed my course
- I am encouraged to continue working towards my many goals and dreams, believing they will come true
- I am surrounded by amazing educators through my PLN who continue to share their amazing Genius; I’m better because of them, so please continue posting your amazing successes and advice
- I am going to remember 2014 for all its amazingness and I will continue to learn from my failed attempts
- I am motivated to reach more goals after being recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) at the 2014 Those Who Excel Awards Banquet
- I will utilize my time better in 2015 because life is precious and our moments are priceless.
- I AM proud of being a recipient of the 2015 Joliet Area Great Teachers Award
- I am honored to be nominated for the 2015 ICE Educator of the Year
- I promise to continue encouraging and motivating my students, children, family, and friends to be their best and to appreciate their successes while learning from their mistakes
- I promise to take some time to realize my own successes and reap the rewards that I have worked so hard to attain
Questions:
1.
As you reflect over
2014, what have you accomplished? Why was it so rewarding?
2.
As the year 2014 comes
to a close, what will you remember?
Remember
to Realize your worth. You Matter!
Reap
the Rewards you have earned. You deserve to celebrate your success!
