Every year at this time, I marvel at the transformations of the young people in front of me. Yes, they are all a little bit taller, more physically adept and coordinated. But what I’m referring to is the transformation in how they see themselves- as learners, as readers, as mathematicians, as explorers, as friends- as leaders of their own learning.
I wonder- do they see themselves the way I do? Do they have a clear understanding of how much they’ve grown? Certainly, I could tell them but do they know?
So, over the course of the past several days, I asked them, “What’s changed for you this year?”
Using the sentence frame, “I used to ___________, and now I __________,” this is what they said:
“I used to think I was bad at math but now I think I’m good at it.”
“I used to not be as interested in discussions but now I really like them- especially Civilization discussions.”
“I used to think I was bad at reading but now I know I’m good at it.”
“I used to not like school. It was boring but now I love school.”
“I used to rely on a teacher to learn but now I rely on myself.”
“I used to not have as much freedom in what I could read but now I do and because of that reading is not a chore and is fun.”
“I used to not have a lot of say in what I wanted to learn about and now I do and because of that I have learned a lot more- like history, life skills, and communicating well through writing.”
“I used to be afraid of asking questions but now I am not and I love asking questions and finding the answers myself.”
“I used to ask only questions to grown-ups but now I ask my peers questions to help me learn.”
“I used to be really shy around older people but now I have a lot more confidence to talk to people of all ages.”
“I used to think that quest was hard and in my panic zone and now I think it’s in my challenge zone.”
“I used to not be as encouraged to speak in front of people but now I am more comfortable.”
“I used to try and dress a certain way and now I wear what I want.”
“I used to think making forts was hard but now I know I can do it.”
“I used to be scared to share what I believed or how I felt but now I am comfortable sharing what I believe is right or wrong and how I feel about things.”
“I used to not care about a lot of things but now I care about so many things.”
They know it’s not a test and there are no right or wrong answers. And so they share these things with me thoughtfully as they are skilled at reflecting on their learning by this point in the year.
They smile as they share, many of them reaffirming their words after speaking them. “Yes, that’s what’s changed for me,” and I smile back in gratitude for this gift.
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