My friend Krissy of Venspired had the perfect image to describe how and why I stepped so far out of my box this year. I was tired of being comfortable. Sure, I loved what I was doing, and I was very successful at it, but at some point I lost track of the days and my purpose. I was too comfortable.
I wonder how many times my students became comfortable about what we were doing in class? Did I challenge them enough, make them squirm a little because it was hard? Did I push my kids to never settle for the same old, same old?
I hope that I did. I hope that I showed them that always challenging yourself and pushing beyond your limits was a learning exercise in and of itself. I hope I showed them that if you make a mistake, you learned in that moment instead of considering it a failure. I hope that when students received their first "B" they understood that they fought tooth and nail for it and need to feel proud.
I hope that my parents received those same messages about their students. The message that a B is sometimes hard earned. That if students are consistently getting straight As that maybe it's too easy.
I pray that I taught my students how to work through a struggle and find a solution - maybe not the first time, but maybe the 2nd or the 3rd. That it doesn't always come easy - that real life thing is really messy and knowing how to power through the struggle is the real skill Mrs. Looper was trying to teach.
I hope that I taught my students that sometimes you have to take a leap because while it's nice and warm and cozy, it's just too comfortable.
