I think a lot of us have a difficult time imagining exactly what we will be like as adults when we’re young. When I think about my younger self, I was pretty unimaginative about what I thought the future could hold. Perhaps it was because I was on the timid side and felt intimidated by a lot of things. If you had told me as a kid that I would one day be a classroom teacher or work with students, I’m not sure I would have believed you.
I was the kid in 7th grade who struggled like crazy in math and had to go in after school to see the teacher (a lot). Sometimes I felt bad for my teacher because I was in there so often. I also couldn’t help but feel that surely there was something wrong with me if I needed this much help until one day my teacher said to me, “I hope my daughter is just like you” (she was expecting a baby girl at the time). That short statement made such an impression on me and gave me a lot to think about. Fast forward to high school and I was asked to help out with grade school students at my church’s summer camp. It was so much fun - I was hooked and starting helping out the following summers. In college, I was asked by one of my instructors if I would consider tutoring other students. I gave it a try and ended up really enjoying it. These are just some of the events that fostered my love of education at an early age.
The bottom line is, I had some really great people in my life who saw something in me and gave me the opportunity to try things I wouldn’t have thought of doing on my own. I needed a major confidence booster and outlets to see what I was capable of as a young person. At Nurturing Wisdom, we focused on one of our values in October: “Pursue Growth and Learning.” I’m convinced that we all grow stagnant and lose excitement if we’re not stretching ourselves. I also think that part of pursuing growth and learning is about helping others through this process. Is there a young person in your life who could really flourish from some of the things I was fortunate enough to have experienced through the adults in my life? While you’re pursuing your own growth and learning, is there anyone in your life whom you can encourage to do the same?
I was the kid in 7th grade who struggled like crazy in math and had to go in after school to see the teacher (a lot). Sometimes I felt bad for my teacher because I was in there so often. I also couldn’t help but feel that surely there was something wrong with me if I needed this much help until one day my teacher said to me, “I hope my daughter is just like you” (she was expecting a baby girl at the time). That short statement made such an impression on me and gave me a lot to think about. Fast forward to high school and I was asked to help out with grade school students at my church’s summer camp. It was so much fun - I was hooked and starting helping out the following summers. In college, I was asked by one of my instructors if I would consider tutoring other students. I gave it a try and ended up really enjoying it. These are just some of the events that fostered my love of education at an early age.
The bottom line is, I had some really great people in my life who saw something in me and gave me the opportunity to try things I wouldn’t have thought of doing on my own. I needed a major confidence booster and outlets to see what I was capable of as a young person. At Nurturing Wisdom, we focused on one of our values in October: “Pursue Growth and Learning.” I’m convinced that we all grow stagnant and lose excitement if we’re not stretching ourselves. I also think that part of pursuing growth and learning is about helping others through this process. Is there a young person in your life who could really flourish from some of the things I was fortunate enough to have experienced through the adults in my life? While you’re pursuing your own growth and learning, is there anyone in your life whom you can encourage to do the same?
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