Setting kids up to succeed
A few months ago, I spent some time in my oldest daughter’s class as a volunteer. It was great to be apart of my daughter’s school life and see her interact with the other students and the teacher.
Although it was great to be with my daughter that day, one of the things that stuck out to me was not something she did. Rather, it was something her teacher did. During the teaching session on the Titanic, one of my daughter’s classmates answered a question wrong. Almost immediately after the teacher said his answer was wrong, he put his head down and appeared to be completely dejected.
Almost immediately the teacher saw his response and set him up on the next question so that he could answer it correctly. She took what could possibly be a very negative, discouraging situation for him and turned it into a positive. She set him up to succeed and his demeanor immediately changed once he answered the question correctly. No one can predict the future but had the teacher not recognized the dejection in her student, this student could have started to build up a self-image of insecurity and inferiority. He could begin to think, “I’m not going to share in class anymore”. Again, these may be extreme instances, but every little bit of positive encouragement and support during these very modable and impressionable years is extremely important. That is why what this teacher did was so important.
In light of this interaction, I thought about people I am investing in. How I am encouraging them, even setting them up to succeed? Am I doing all I can to make a difference in their life? Just as I was thinking of that and being challenged by the interaction of my daughter’s teacher with her student, I want to encourage you as well. What have you done lately to set students up to succeed? How have you observed what is going on and really praised your students for the job they are doing well or even encouraged them when things do not quite seem right with them? Hebrews 10:24 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds”. As followers of Christ and leaders to young people, it is more than just our “job” to encourage others, it is a lifestyle that we called to do.
So right now, TAKE A MINUTE and think through people in your life who needs encouragement. If you are having problems thinking of people go before God and ask Him to reveal people to you. If you don’t know of how to encourage someone, search the Bible (especially the Psalms) for some good verses. I hope today you can encourage someone in their life – you never know exactly what is going on in their life and a little bit of encouragement can cause someone to succeed in a mighty way.
