The Most Powerful 400 Words in Teaching

     As an educator, it’s invaluable to provide the highest quality of education to our learners.  It’s priceless to partner with our students to assist in their success of their educational goals.  As an educator I set out every day to make this a reality for every learner I have the pleasure of working with.  However, I can think of one particular learner that has taught me a lot about the importance of teaching and learning from our learners!  We will name this learner “Elle”.     

     “Elle” is a non-traditional adult learner who returned to the community college to pursue a dream that was put on the back burner for many years.  Priorities seemed to shift for this learner as now she was a single mother and struggling to make ends meet.  Her perseverance and resilience has struck me to be unique in her situation.  She was passionate and committed to her educational goals.  I found out really quickly that even with the level of commitment that “Elle” possessed life could throw curve balls.  

     “Elle” worked 2 jobs to support her family while going to school to obtain a degree that she knew she deserved.  “Elle” slept minimal hours every night to make sure her school work was completed.  Sometimes she would come to me and feel discouraged because her work didn’t reflect her knowledge base or the learner that she felt she was.  This was because she was operating on very little sleep – working on school work while her small children slept.  With this knowledge “Elle” and I came up with a plan.  This plan included ways to better support her learning style as well as time management techniques.  This allowed her to meet her obligations outside of school and have assignments turned in timely.  This helped to build “Elle’s” self-esteem by increasing her quality of her work.  

     While working with “Elle” on this plan I began to learn more about myself as an educator.  I had to learn to think outside the box and that things weren’t always black and white.  I quickly learned the importance behind grace and love for the learner!  I resonated with “Elle” and felt a quick connection from my own pervious life circumstances.  This quickly opened a door to the next level of education for my learners.  When “Elle” reached out for an extension, I had compassion for her needs and wanted to help.  I granted the extension, but then quickly I understood that I wanted this grace for all my learners.  I wanted to take the compassion that I possessed for my learners to the next level.  Within reason, things didn’t have to always be by the book.  It was OK to allow the learner to pick reasonable due dates for assignments during times of need.  

     According to the college’s mission statement, “Lansing Community College provides high-quality education ensuring that all students successfully complete their educational goals while developing life skills necessary for them to enrich and support themselves, their families, and their community as engaged global citizens”.  “Elle” helped me to understand that she was worth the degree she was striving to earn!  “Elle” helped me to understand equity in education a little more.  “Elle” wanted to own her success and her story, not only for herself but for her children.  She just needed a little support in her educational goals and I was the lucky one to help support her in her goals!  I’m proud to say “Elle” the mother of 2 small children who worked 2 jobs to make ends meet is now “Elle”, RN still mother of 2 small children, only working 1 job and able to support her family and manage life and finally sleep during the hours her children sleep!