The end of the year is here! The time all of us students have been waiting for: winter break. It's a time perfectly summed up by the Christmas carol, "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year". With lyrics like,
There'll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow
There'll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories of
Christmases long, long ago
It's the most wonderful time of the year
There'll be much mistletoeing
And hearts will be glowing
When love ones are near
It's the most wonderful time of the year
how could one ever doubt the holiday's abilities to be the absolute "best time of the year"? Unfortunately, with the holidays so close it also means the semester is wrapping up and that brings the dreaded finals. (Dun dun dunnnnn)
I suffer from crippling test anxiety and multiple panic attacks around this time. I strive to be the best I can be at absolutely everything. Which sounds like a great thing, but around times like this, the pressure I put on myself can be almost unbearable. One terribly comforting thought through all of this, however, is that I'm not alone in that struggle. I have a campus full of students who are also running on negative hours of sleep, drinking gallons of coffee, and suffering through endless nights of studying. It's the semester's way of seeing just how much pressure us students can take before we explode- quite a rude social experiment, if you ask me.
Finals week normally doesn't allow for much independent thinking. Wondrously inquisitive thoughts are often nowhere to be found because most are locked away in the library reviewing copious amounts of study material and literally have no time to spare. Yet, I found a minute to spare today and I realized that finals week is a terrible representation of a student. I could be the most hard-working, determined student in the world, I could study for hours on hours, but that doesn't necessarily shine through on the numerous exams I have to take in the short time span of a week.
My father sent me an encouraging article today entitled "8 Uplifting Quotes for the Discouraged Student". The quotes really did help my wounded brain recover from some of the pressure that I had put on it, but the introduction to the quotes is what really made me wonder. It stated, "Some students excel under pressure, and there are those who crumble beneath it. It’s easy to praise the students who continuously work hard, but let’s try not to berate those who find it difficult to focus." and finished with this high note, "Instead of lecturing these lost souls, it’s up to educators and mentors to find ways on how to lure them back into learning."
As an educator, it is not my only job to teach. I am also a motivator, an encourager, a source of trust, and a wealth of knowledge. I have so many more jobs than just teaching. And right now, during this extremely stressful finals week, I have so much determination in me to make sure that none of my future students every feel worthless, bored, or discouraged. I want them to realize their potential, how special they are, and most importantly, that an exam does not evaluate your worth.
I suffer from crippling test anxiety and multiple panic attacks around this time. I strive to be the best I can be at absolutely everything. Which sounds like a great thing, but around times like this, the pressure I put on myself can be almost unbearable. One terribly comforting thought through all of this, however, is that I'm not alone in that struggle. I have a campus full of students who are also running on negative hours of sleep, drinking gallons of coffee, and suffering through endless nights of studying. It's the semester's way of seeing just how much pressure us students can take before we explode- quite a rude social experiment, if you ask me.
Finals week normally doesn't allow for much independent thinking. Wondrously inquisitive thoughts are often nowhere to be found because most are locked away in the library reviewing copious amounts of study material and literally have no time to spare. Yet, I found a minute to spare today and I realized that finals week is a terrible representation of a student. I could be the most hard-working, determined student in the world, I could study for hours on hours, but that doesn't necessarily shine through on the numerous exams I have to take in the short time span of a week.
My father sent me an encouraging article today entitled "8 Uplifting Quotes for the Discouraged Student". The quotes really did help my wounded brain recover from some of the pressure that I had put on it, but the introduction to the quotes is what really made me wonder. It stated, "Some students excel under pressure, and there are those who crumble beneath it. It’s easy to praise the students who continuously work hard, but let’s try not to berate those who find it difficult to focus." and finished with this high note, "Instead of lecturing these lost souls, it’s up to educators and mentors to find ways on how to lure them back into learning."
As an educator, it is not my only job to teach. I am also a motivator, an encourager, a source of trust, and a wealth of knowledge. I have so many more jobs than just teaching. And right now, during this extremely stressful finals week, I have so much determination in me to make sure that none of my future students every feel worthless, bored, or discouraged. I want them to realize their potential, how special they are, and most importantly, that an exam does not evaluate your worth.