Some people, we say, have “a green thumb,” a way with nurturing plants, while others do not. It turns out that mostly what it takes to have a green thumb is the willingness to put in the effort, the dedication to learn what each plant needs and then provide it.
What do people see you as gifted at because you care enough about it to do it well?
Last night I got a call from a former student. She called to thank me for helping her to understand that it was okay to fail. So often in our school systems (K – college) kids get one shot at getting things right, and the resulting grade is what follows them through and erroneously defines their abilities. I have observed that such “one-shot” deals don’t encourage learning; they encourage people to fall back on what they already know and do well, and perhaps add a few ruffles and flourishes to that and call it good. As we talked, I recalled the conversation that day about the fact that when we try new things, they usually aren’t perfect the first time around. So we much look at what we tried, decide what worked and what didn’t work, and then figure out how to make those things work as well, and that struggle and analysis should be part of the evidence of learning. She said that she has always remembered that, and that it helped her try new things with her students, and she was brave enough to share her mistakes with the class and ask their help in making the lessons better. After some reflection on this event, I think that perhaps I am good at helping people understand how to fail successfully, and I believe that she is now modeling that behavior to her students as well.