Good Things Come to Those Who Wait!
By Dr. Marci
I have always enjoyed flowers and gardening has become a hobby. This Spring was no exception, I was anxious to begin planting. I went to buy plants and even 
decided to buy bulbs that I remember seeing my grandmother planting when I was growing up. I couldn’t wait for the spring to begin so I could plant the flowers and especially the bulbs. I waited and waited and saw no sign of the bulbs growing. I had even shared some of the bulbs with a friend who loved gardening just like I did. We compared notes and questioned why there seemed to be no growth. When we almost lost hope and gave up, I looked to water my plants and spotted a tiny bulb unfolding its beautiful head! It was a great way to start my day after my tiring three-mile morning walk.
As I took in the moment, I started to consider what this means in terms of a life lesson. Surely this can mean one of two things: 1) All you need for growth is patience and consistency 2) “Good Things Come to Those Who Wait!” For sure, there is a lesson for everything we experience in life, and it got me thinking of how this can apply to education as well.
One of the things that I always promise myself is to never have a preconceived notion of my new students. In fact, I don’t ask previous teachers to give their perception about a student, as I wanted to form my own opinion about each. I have often found that since one size does not fit all, I shouldn’t assume that they will react the same way that they did for another teacher. I simply must give them a chance. I should not quit on a student before they have a chance to prove themselves, just like I patiently waited on my bulb plants to show who they are. Not everything nor everyone grows at the same pace and simply giving loving care and molding them according to their needs can help.
I spent 180 days teaching online and to be honest, I really didn’t think I would survive. There were many things that came new to me: a new school, new grade, new tasks, new teaching methods, new students who were eager to learn, and many others. There were days when I had my lesson plans and realized after the first five minutes that they were not going to work, based on the students’ moods or it simply was not the right time for that lesson. They were just not ready to grow yet. Interestingly, I had to think quickly since I also had the things to do, and the order of the lessons already lined up in my laptop’s browser. As if I didn’t wear enough hats, I had to navigate the laptop quickly and ensure that I was meeting the needs of all the students, who weren’t physically in front of me, but were virtual. Who would have thought I was capable of this task?
Each day was met with anticipation as I sat in front of the laptops wondering what could go wrong and how they would be fixed or even better yet, how my many rambunctious six-year-olds and sometimes parents, would react to the shift in schedule or planned lessons. And yes, Murphy’s Law showed up for class very often. There were also days when some parents would question why I made sudden changes, they would challenge my professional judgement or better yet leave me wondering if I would get out of the situations without me questioning my ability to teach or manage my group of students.
In general, I do know that I made long lasting connections, kept high expectations, saw wonderful progress with my students as we navigated the rather unusual school year. For the first time I choked up and felt tears as the students and parents told me how they felt about me being the teacher. I heard how inspirational I had been, how much their students grew academically and even that they became brave! I too grew as a person and professionally. It’s the little things that matter and makes it all worthwhile. I know for sure that I really love teaching, especially the ah, ah moments. I do feel like there is more in store for me too, even more for me to learn!! To my students and parents, I say, “Thank you for helping to bring out the best in me!” I’ve always said that my class was hand-picked by God and each day I was more convinced. Each student was special in his/her own way. I encouraged them daily to have a positive outlook by starting the day with a positive affirmation and they bought into it. I encouraged them to dream big and not give up and to continue reaching for the stars. I suppose the idea is to wait for the goodness and continue being the best that I can be. I am hopeful as I get ready for the summer to rejuvenate and look forward to the new buds that will be planted. It always fascinating how from little seeds mighty and beautiful trees or flowers can grow.
