It was incredibly challenging not to sound or look like I was reading. I was so nervous in front of the camera, and I couldn’t remember my lines. I struggled with reading. I thought someday I would like to make a TED talk because I have so much I would like to share. But I don’t think I am cut out for video. I think I will stay safely ensconced in my classroom with a captive audience that has not outgrown my Mom jokes.
My students also struggle with making presentations and sharing out in class. I encourage them to keep practicing. “Things get easier with practice.” I use the same strategies as a swim coach; I try to say five positives for every correction I offer. I always asked them to do what I wanted to see. My swimmers and my students respond to directions that tell them what to do rather than what not to do.
This project has made me keep repeating the affirmation, “Everyone has to start somewhere. We are all beginners at something.” It has become my mantra. Before I teach, I try to do the problems that I ask the students to do--then I look at the answer key. This can help me see the stumbling blocks that students encounter. As for the learning pit, I have fallen in, and I feel I may never again emerge. However, I will keep going, knowing that “nothing ventured nothing gained.”