Education, High School, Middle School, motivation, Secondary English, Teacher, Teaching, Teaching tools, Texas, Uncategorized

When Students “See the Light”- Loving the A-ha Moment

Recently I started up my car to head to work. I waited a second, and I realized that the display that controls the radio, bluetooth, and charging capabilities was dark and unresponsive. That was the quietest ride to school I have had in a very long time. Eerily quiet. Know that everything in cars today is electronic, I was not confident in my ability to fix the problem. I called my husband, and he didn’t sound very confident either.

So I dealt with it. For the rest of the day I drove around with my phone playing music in my lap. I felt resourceful, but I was dreading calling the auto repair shop and having to take my car in.

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Fast forward a day and a half- I was running errands, trying to get my two daughters ready for prom, and all of a sudden, the display blinked and then started working. Hallelujah! I cranked up the radio, called my husband on the bluetooth, and just enjoyed the fact that I wouldn’t have to take it into the shop.

Have you ever seen that happen with a student in your class? Suddenly they blink, and you can see the light go on in their eyes because they finally get it. It’s BEAUTIFUL. It’s like a drug to teachers. Well, at least to me anyway. That “light bulb” moment is what teachers wait for, sometimes all year. But when it happens, it’s the fuel we need to keep going. It lets us know that we ARE making a difference one kid at a time.

Before you consider taking your students to the shop, remember that you have the power to make their screen light up.