“I can do hard things”

“I can do hard things”

A middle school student I work with recently said to me, exasperated, “It’s too hard!!!” (insert sing-songy moan).

At that moment I realized the word we were working on was one he’d previously encountered and successfully conquered. Yes, working memory is a struggle for him, and yes, he REALLY doesn’t enjoy much of the work we do. That being said, he IS gaining skills, fluency, accuracy, and recall. So together we do the hard work.

In an inspired moment, I replied, “Yes, this is hard—and you can do hard things!” Statements like this one have been a revelation to this low-self-esteem learner. And who can blame him? Raising their confidence is truly my second goal, right after giving these kids tools for their toolbox that they can actually use. It is hard work. It’s been said that for every withdrawal (insult, unkindness, giggle at their struggle, etc.), a person needs seven deposits (encouragement, positive specific feedback, genuine words that build them up).

I’m truly fighting an uphill battle here.

But for these amazing learners, I’m here for it. When their eyes light up as I describe how far they’ve come—from where they were to where they are now—they can see what was previously invisible to them. Then the smile starts creeping into the corners of their mouths. They realize they in fact CAN do hard things.

A little back-to-school sticker gift for my students this year, custom-made by my amazing Cricut-creating friend. Can’t wait to see what these kids can do THIS year!

encouragement for all of us!