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Passing the Test
Submitted by: Rachel
TXI just completed my first year of teaching and am 23 years old. I have 'dabbled' in The Secret and have recently decided to make it a daily part of my life.
I was hired in August 2007 to teach Math and Science at a public school to fourth graders. I had graduated in 2006 from UT, and spent some time traveling, so this was my first year to be a ‘real’ teacher.
In January of 2008 I faced a very large sink in morale at my school. We had experienced what some felt were very low middle of the year testing scores, which made many fear that our kids would not pass the state mandated testing in the spring. I spent the first few weeks of January in a depression. My team of veteran teachers spirits’ were lower than my own.
Fortunately a change came. I remember lying in my bed thinking about work and my kiddos. I thought how I wanted nothing more than for every one of my students to pass the Math TAKS test. Not only for my own happiness, but really because I did not want a single one of my kids to feel the sting of failure.
I decided that night, in bed, that my kids would pass. It seemed crazy, but it felt right, and most importantly it felt good! I said it over and over, that EVERY child would pass and would do fine on the test. I would remind myself of this when doubts crept in, and I even vocalized it to the kids and had them repeat that they would pass (I really had to believe, because now the kids were believing it).
I still did all that I could to help them and re-teach them areas of struggle for them, but I refused to be stressed or worried. We just worked hard and believed that they would succeed.
April 29th, the test day came and went. We waited until May 23rd for the results. I sat there all alone on a Friday afternoon, checking online to see if they had come. I looked at my first group of kids – all 22 had passed. Then I opened my next class – and ALL 22 HAD PASSED!!! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY STUDENTS PASSED THE TEST!!!! It was the best feeling ever, and even better when I got to share the news with the kids and parents. I know it was because we put it out to the universe and the universe brought us the results.
Testing is not the end of the world, but to a child, to look at their personal score on a test they took all by themselves, it means a lot to know that they did well. I worked hard to make sure they knew it was just one test taken one day out of the year, and regardless the outcome that I loved them and they had worked so hard and deserved to feel good about their efforts. It was just that much better that they saw the results!
The Secret works… in all aspects of life.