Education, etc.

   In education, we often talk about growth being measurable. We assign numbers to the growth we want students to achieve so we can track if the student is reaching their goals. “Student will raise their hand 4 of 5 times and wait to be called on.” Personally, I am not a fan of raising your hand and waiting to be called on, but that is largely due to the type of classroom I run. I like discussion and teaching my students to interact with each other. Granted, I teach older students, and I have a healthy tendency to interrupt or speak impulsively myself. Yet, the goal is important for many students with an IEP, so I respect it when I am asked to.

    Sometimes growth is easier to measure, like an exercise commitment, reaching a target lift, weight, or time. I remember the days, many, many moons ago, when exercise was a huge part of my life, when running was a daily commitment, and my growth was measured in miles per week. It was a goal I loved and became nearly obsessed with until I physically no longer could. But I can look back on that time and easily see my own growth from someone who could not run fifty yards without stopping to someone who was running 7-8 miles with music in my ears and a smile on my face. I can look back and be proud of myself for my achievement even if it is a bittersweet feeling.

    There have been plenty of other areas of my life where growth was not exactly measurable but no less significant.

• The high school student who was told she struggled with writing to the doctoral student who’s editor said she was a wonderful writer, and the editor looked forward to reading the next dissertation chapter.
• The high school student who was told she had a learning disability in math, who had to take Analytical Geometry / Calculus II five times, yes, five times (and I think they finally just took pity on my since it was keeping me from graduating from college) to the physical science teacher whose students said, “you make math make sense.”
• The college student who was so scared of her own shadow that she had to have her bed where she could not only see her bedroom door but also the main door into the apartment, to the woman who can now sleep with a foot out from under the covers and hanging off the bad! That may not be much to you, but trust me, it is HUGE.
• The high school student who was told, “you seem to really like chemistry, but it is a man’s field, perhaps you should go to college and get your ‘Mrs. degree’,” to the college chemistry major who refused to change it no matter how hard it was.
• The college student who spent more than a few semesters on academic probation and graduated “thank ya lawdy” to the doctoral student who graduated with honors.
• The woman who was told she was not an athlete, and would never be one, but bought herself a pair or running shoes, trained, and ran a 10K six weeks later only to fall in love with running, complete more than a few events, and train for a marathon.

    Growth is extremely personal, and it is a good thing, too, because growth is not for anyone but you! If you are waiting for a cheerleader, you may be waiting for a while. If you are waiting for a leader, guru, or coach to drop from the sky, you can stop looking up, because if you want one, you have to go find one. They are not going to come find you.

    Sometimes growth is gaining confidence, finding the ability to proceed with your head held high, knowing the strength you need to accomplish your dream is already within you.

    Other times growth is recognizing when you have been wrong, or treated someone wrongly, and doing your best to make it right. After all, sometimes the hardest thing to say is, “I was wrong.”

    Growth may not be visible to others, but it is not always theirs to measure. It can be a deeply personal journey of inner triumph or an outwardly obvious path to success. Whatever it is for you, ask yourself one question: What are you waiting for? Every day is a new beginning, a fresh start, an opportunity to try again. So, join the gym, hire a personal trainer, read the self-help book, take the self-defense class, apply to the program, submit the job application, whatever it is that you have as your goal, take the steps to begin the next growing season of your life. Because as long as you are moving forward, the process is worth it!