When I was in the classroom, I was the type of Educator that the staff and students could count on to always go above and beyond for school spirit days. Whether it was Red Ribbon Week, a celebrated holiday, or Homecoming Week, participation was a must in my books. Other teachers would make it a point to visit my classroom to observe what makeshift wardrobe I was adorned in, and students would seek me out in the halls to poke fun and laugh at me. Despite all the joking, the students really enjoyed my display of creativity, but a few would always ask a variation of the same question. The would ask “aren’t you embarrassed to walk around looking silly?” I would quickly respond with a big “NO” I am thoroughly enjoying myself, and I am dressed this way for a purpose. I did have the advantage of age and maturity on my side, and I tried to express that I was confident in who I was, and not bothered by the opinions of others. Confidence is defined as the “feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.” Instead of only believing in something or just someone, imagine if the person that you believe in, and placed firm trust in was yourself! Imagine how many expectations you would exceed, whether personal or placed on you by others, if you increased confidence in yourself.
Take a moment to reflect on Aesop’s Classic Fable “The Tortoise and the Hare.” First of all, there was an extreme imbalance with the competitors in the race. The average speed of a Tortoise is a mere 0.17 mph while the average speed for the Hare is 37 mph! Let’s put that all in perspective. When the Tortoise was preparing to race the Hare, he believed that he had the ability to be successful in the race or he would not have participated in the event. Imagine how much confidence it would take to mentally psych yourself up to race an opponent that on average was almost 218 times faster than you! We know the story, in arrogance the Hare did not see the Tortoise as valid competition, so he took a nap, grabbed snacks, and even left the race course to pursue other interests. While the Hare fell victim to his arrogance, the Tortoise consistently trotted down his path towards the finish line. He did not detour from the path, veer from his agenda, or postpone his goal. When the Hare finally concentrated on that task at hand, it was too late. Even at his maximum speed, by the time he arrived at the finish line, it was only to be greeted by the Tortoise that already crossed over it. In this case both contenders were confident, but the Hare had it in excess. Both characters had a belief to accomplish something that could not be done. The Tortoise could not beat the Hare if the Hare maintained a steady course, and the evidence displayed that the Hare could not beat the Tortoise if he wanted to also incorporate all the additional personal activities.
Confidence, used appropriately, will allow an individual to accomplish some phenomenal things in life. As a student, I struggled with test anxiety. It was so bad that to the point, even in College, I tutored some of my classmates and they scored higher than me on our class assessments. One factor I eventually discovered about myself was that I second guessed myself when selecting answers to some questions. One day I placed a faint mark next to the questions that I changed the answer to and later realized that if I would have left them, that I would have gotten most of them correct. From that moment on, I developed a higher sense of confidence when it can to taking an assessment, and my testing averages increased. I eventually could at times take an assessment that I was not fully prepared for, but my due to improved test taking skills, was able to do well! Marcus Garvey stated, “with confidence, you have won before you started.” A Next Level Educator is an Educator that can look at a class full of challenging students, have limited resources, and still establish high standards and expectations for them. A Next Level Educator is an Educator that not only encourages and inspires students but increases the value of their life by developing the whole character. In spite of all opposition, a Next Level Educator is an Educator that believes and has confidence in the abilities and hidden potential in every child entering their school and classroom.
The Jeremy Anderson Group