Life throws challenges at us every single day, some more difficult than others. Sometimes we decide to pick and choose which battles we want to fight. But it is important to realize that sometimes, the way we face even the smallest challenges reflects the way you will face the greatest challenges. Just like building muscles, confidence and habits take time to build as well!
In class, I challenge my students with pushups and splits, which is difficult even for the most physically fit. I had one student who constantly gave up after one or two pushups when tasked with doing three sets of 10; she would choose to laugh and smile after giving up every time. Of course I understand that children need time to build their muscles to do all 10 pushups, let alone three sets of them! But this was about four months into our course, and I knew this student had it in herself to do more than two.
So I finally stopped the class to address the issue. I told her - "If you give up so easily on doing 10 pushups, it is going to reflect on how you handle challenges outside of this studio. You are enabling a habit that will follow you for the rest of your life. Start creating the muscles of your mind and do not give up so easily."
The student nodded and we continued. The student completed ALL TEN PUSHUPS. I was so proud and thrilled and saw the same expression on her face. She learned the value of putting in the effort, even if it means you'll fail before reaching the goal. But she learned that if she sets her standards high, she can be the person she wanted to be - whether it is by herself, in front of a classroom or at a dance studio!
This student taught me the importance of being a teacher, even though I am teaching the art of dance, I have 1 hour in each class to find opportunities to help my dear students build skills that they can hopefully use for the rest of their lives. We have to keep paying it forward!
No comments:
Post a Comment