This morning, I was listening to Joel Osteen and I felt that the sermon was directed towards me. It was about celebrating small victories. As teachers, we want to change the world. We have big dreams for our students and we lose sight of the little things. While the big successes are wonderful, they are few and far between. It is the frequent little victories that keep us going. We are so focused on the ultimate goal, we sometimes forget the moments that help us get there.
For example, last year, our EOC scores came in. We were so focused on those “proficient scores,” we forgot to notice our passing rate. Over 95% of students PASSED the standardized test, and many of those passing scores belonged to students that would not have passed at the beginning of the year. [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][bctt tweet=”We forget that a school performance score does not always show the hard work and dedication of our students and teachers.”] We showed so much appreciation for our A and B students, we forgot our passing students. Those students had to work hard to pass the exam, in fact they make have worked harder than any of those A and B students, yet we barely acknowledged them. What may have seemed liked a little victory to the outside world, was a miracle to those students. No matter how small something may seem, it is so important to be thankful and appreciate it, because for that person, it may be an enormous victory.
We showed so much appreciation for our A and B students, we forgot our passing students. Those students had to work hard to pass the exam, in fact, they make have worked harder than any of those A and B students, yet we barely acknowledged them. What may have seemed liked a little victory to the outside world, was a miracle to those students. No matter how small something may seem, it is so important to be thankful and appreciate it because, for that person, it may be an enormous victory.
Appreciate the little things, even though those things may not look like much to someone else, it is something to our students and even, ourselves. These are some of the little victories that I need to celebrate:
1. A student that is ALWAYS absent came to school five days in a row.
2. A late paper had a beautiful thesis statement
3. A student taking my class for the third time, finally passed the state standardized test.
4. Student A pulled up his pants before coming in my classroom.
5. Student B explained what a simile was to student C.
6. Student D stepped outside to pass gas instead of in the middle of a lesson. (Yes, that is a victory.)
7. A student brought back a textbook she found in the gym.
8. Student E walked away even though Student F tried to start an argument.
9. The teacher down the hall brought me a cherry coke from Sonic as a surprise.
10. A student asked to borrow my copy of Edgar Allan Poe works.
While these things may not seem like much to you or even to non-teachers, the truth is they are victories. We have so much to be thankful for in our classrooms and we over look them because we are so worried about the big picture. Those little teachable moments are pieces of a larger puzzle. Just like our class is just one small piece of our students’ life. Focusing on the little moments gives an opportunity to provide positive feedback more often. If we only offer positive feedback for big moments, we may never have an opportunity to give it. [bctt tweet=”If we only offer positive feedback for big moments, we may never have an opportunity to give it. “]Be thankful for those small moments and share them with others.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
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