Help Me See the Joy in Me

I had this teacher freshman year of high school that encouraged me to look beyond just academics and think about what I genuinely enjoy and want to pursue. She pushed me to explore different interests, try new things, and focus on personal growth rather than just results. If it weren’t for her, I don’t think I would’ve taken up many of the programs I’ve been a part of. Because of that, I value experiences, skills, and learning opportunities. -Hans

We don’t always get to see the effect of the ripples we start with our comments, our interest, and our dedication. Many times the effects of that work are not seen for years to come. 

Just like we lead students to focus on the process and not results, we too need to focus on the little things along the way and the big picture. If students leave us a bit smarter and still in love with learning, then we have done something right. 

Even more than that, though, is the opportunity to share the things that they love with you and each other. They can share why they love something, how they get into a hobby, and the joy of chasing questions down the infinite rabbit holes.  

It is important that we give them all of the necessary skills to move on, but it is also important to keep nurturing that interest in themselves, each other, and whatever makes them curious. We are absolutely obsessed with what is going on around us and how it all affects us. Let’s use that obsession to our advantage.  

We might accidentally light the fuse that becomes a lifelong passion, a future career, or maybe only a fleeting fascination, but there is so much joy in just being that place with our students and seeing what comes next. We might never know how it all turns out, but we sure can enjoy it all now.