Somehow in the midst of all the time that I spend with students, a little part of me is left "unfulfilled" as I complete my learning sessions and wrap up my notes. Today was certainly an exception.
The school system that I work for participated in an assessment. I had the wonderful opportunity to work with a student who was a little bit anxious about the test. When I saw her in the hallway, I immediately felt as if she was a kindred spirit, one whom I remember seeing "in the mirror" when I was subjected to countless tests and interviews and assessments. For one brief second I made eye contact with the young adolescent and saw that she had tears in her eyes and they were swollen from all the crying and sobbing about the "test".
As I walked over towards her, I offered her my hand to introduce myself. I smiled like I always do and told her how excited I was that she would be testing with me. When we were in the room for testing, I immediately struck up a casual conversation with her and asked her about her school year and other "trivial" questions just to pass the time by. Afterwards I shared with her my own experience with anxiety and how (from time to time believe it or not) I still suffer from occassional panic attacks - depending on what the situation is.
This information seemed to provide comfort to my "testing student" as the shared experiences seemed to disarm her. After the testing session, she walked over to her mom and gave her a hug. When she walked away her mother said that "I knew that when I heard my daughter laugh, she would be okay with you.". My response to her was, "I want her to feel comfortable. When students are comfortable - they are confident. When they are confident, then they will excel. I am glad to know that I could be of assistance."
Today was a great day - one of many, when a teacher was able to make a difference, even if it was just for one moment.
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