Growth

 I have a student who I have been teaching for three semesters now. In the past two classes, she had been the student who I almost constantly had to stay on to remain on task, often distracting other students, and quite honestly, not really "with it." I remember how she behaved during a class discussion on ethics during the first semester that I taught her. She was apathetic regarding the topic, and needless to say, she did not do well. However, I have tried to provide guidance as best I could. 

Last week, I held a review discussion on ethics. This student in particular stood out to me. She was fully engaged and provided great feedback regarding the questions that I asked! She was also inquisitive, asking very earnest and thoughtful questions. She assumed a leadership role, advising some of her classmates on ethical decision-making and also let them know when they were not behaving professionally. It was during this discussion that I really noticed how much she has grown. These days, she often takes a leadership role during many activities, and she's a good leader. She has gone from not doing well in previous classes to being one of my top students! She is now a conscientious worker, and I am so proud of her! I had a talk with her the other day after school (she even volunteered to stay after school in order to talk to me) and let her know that I had noticed her growth, and I was very proud of her. I also encouraged her to keep moving forward with her progression. I don't know which one of us was beaming more! I pray that she keeps moving in the right direction!...This is what teaching is all about!