My Proud Moment

The proud moments in the classroom are some of the greatest rewards of teaching for me. The "Ah ha!" moments, the "finally getting it" moments, or the moments when a kid comes running to tell you about a connection they made with course content outside of the classroom. 

My biggest "proud" this week was in a young lady who has been in my class before...and, in fact, failed my class before.  Frankly, this student has struggled through much of her academic career with low grades and poor study habits. She has some personal difficulties that have contributed to her troubles. She is now a senior.

From the beginning of the year, she has worked very hard improving her study habits, getting her work done on time, engaging in group assignments and even volunteering to answer questions in class. This week, she made the highest grade that I have ever given her on a unit exam: an 86! I was so excited as I was marking her test. I honestly can't wait to give her answer sheet back to her in class tomorrow. I know she will be as proud of herself as I am of her. 


I certainly can't take the credit for her new-found success and motivation, but I hope that my persistence and coaching has helped promote the positive changes that she has made this year. She is inspired by her own struggles with emotional health to pursue a career in mental health care. I believe she can do it!