Some of the most influential people in a child’s life are their teachers. For many students, they even spend more of the day with their teachers than they do their own parents.
This rang true for Teresa, whose greatest inspiration turned out to be the one person she would have never expected; her teacher, Ms. Singer. High school was a struggle for Teresa. She had a legacy of being a disruptive student who was angry, troublesome, and had been written off by a number of her teachers and peers. Regularly, Teresa had been asked to leave a classroom for arguing with teachers, mouthing off, and becoming aggressive with other students. This girl was no stranger to the principal’s office and found herself on the receiving end of more F’s than A’s throughout the school year. Despite all of this, Teresa had one teacher that saw true potential in her and provided her with the student support she needed. Ms. Singer believed in Teresa wholeheartedly and reaffirmed it consistently despite Teresa’s negative self-image.
Ms. Singer held Teresa accountable, not based on her being a “problem,” but instead, based on the “10″ she knew Teresa was capable of being. Teresa knew how this teacher felt, and a rapport developed between them. Over time, Ms. Singer established a relationship with Teresa and provided her with the student support she need by making an investment in who she was, and who she could one day be. Ms. Singer allowed Teresa’s potential to be her guide. While in the moments of each incident, Teresa felt angry and frustrated, but her teacher and mentor left her each time with compassion and the undying commitment and belief that Teresa could succeed.
On the last day of class, Teresa handed Ms. Singer a note that said this: “… Thank you for everything you taught me and did for me… I’m sorry for all I put you through. I was surprised that you didn’t kick me out of your class because I know I was a pain. Now I’m determined to get something out of life. My mom would be proud of me for doing this and I want to make her happy. Thank you for believing in me. And keep up the good work because what you’re doing is helping a lot of students be better people.”
Ms. Singer, similar to every teacher who uses Quantum Learning methods in their classroom, knows that every student has the potential for achievement; and every student is a spark just waiting to ignite. By focusing on Teresa’s potential and future, Ms. Singer could see the positives that Teresa was capable of achieving over the negativity and resistance she was holding onto so tightly. For Teresa, it was these extra moments that would leave the greatest impact on her life.
The “Impact of Affirmations” was Ms. Singer’s guide. She understood how to use positive language and reinforcement to counteract the negative voice inside Teresa’s head. By affirming Teresa’s actions, Ms. Singer acknowledged her every effort and was able to shift Teresa’s energy into a new and positive direction.
Students thrive in environments where they know they can be given individual recognition for who they are and what they can do. In ‘The Study of Children Learning Language,’ Gordon Wells notes, “Children who feel, or who are made to feel unaccepted and incompetent may be slow to recover their self-confidence, and as a result, their ability to benefit from the enlarged opportunities for learning that school provides may be diminished or even, in extreme cases, irrevocably damaged.”
Through positive affirmation and student support, Ms. Singer was able to build a positive rapport with Teresa that resulted in a lottery’s payoff. Ms. Singer did this by removing Teresa’s threats, engaging her emotions, and creating a positive connection with her. Rapport opens the doors to students’ lives, creating a way to enter their world, know their concerns, share their successes and speak their language. The degree to which a teacher enters a student’s world is the degree of influence the teacher has in his or her life. For Ms. Singer and Teresa, this is what made all the difference.