For whatever reason, Amber was a bit off Tuesday. I think what happened there was a lot like every other time that any one of us has been “off.” Something happened early on (a bad mood, a preoccupied mind, a stumble, etc.), and that something colors the rest of the lesson. How do we change the tone once a few mistakes have been made? I’m not sure what to do because if you can’t get them to forget the previous mistakes, things can go downhill quickly. Do you present easier tasks that they can master easily? So they become successful? Or, do you just keep supporting them until they get it right? I could be wrong, but I think that even though Amber’s skills improved by the end, and she looked so much more “on it,” she still wasn’t really happy about her performance. So, something Billy did in his teaching must have worked to lead to the improvement. But, is there a way to really get students to completely “start over” mentally, or do we just do our best and go from there?
I wasn’t nervous at all about my drop-off until I started thinking about it after class. I know I’ll be safe, but like we were talking about during class, it’s a matter of confidence in skills. I know I’ll be safe, but without the talking, I won’t feel as secure. It’s really a mind game at this point. The more I think about it, the more apprehensive I feel. I know once I get started I’ll either make the right choice or the wrong choice, and then I’ll just move from there, but I’m worried I’ll spend too much time thinking and not enough time moving. Part of the problem isn’t just that I think too much, it’s that I won’t act on what I’m thinking. I don’t know when to cut off the thinking and move forward with action. I don’t want to be reckless. I mean, I am me, and I won’t be reckless; I know that. Still, though, I have seen how frustration escalates once I get bogged down in thinking. I’ve really just got to keep moving and reacting instinctually. I think that will be the key to my success. It really is silly. I’m worried that I’ll think too much. I know I’ve got skills that are good enough to keep me safe. I guess the easy answer is just not to think so much. Easier said than done, right?
I am struggling with picking a location for Lauren’s drop off. I want her to be successful, but because she’s got such great skills, she does need a relatively challenging route. I don’t think either of us would be happy if she finished her route in three minutes. But, I also know she’s a bit anxious, and I would feel absolutely awful if she doesn’t get to be successful the first time. I would really feel like I’d failed as her teacher. So, do I pick some route she’s always traveled perfectly, or do I go for a route we’ve worked on a lot? Lauren has such excellent skills, I’m confident she could be dropped anywhere and find her way to another place safely and efficiently. So, knowing that, do I bank on her skills and give her a big challenge with an even bigger payoff in confidence?
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