Last week I got to have one of those special moments that make the life of a teacher seem worthwhile. I got to see 15 nervous young students stand courageously in front of several doctors and scientists and make their first poster presentation ever in English.
Even though their accomplishments have very little to do with anything I taught them, I was very very proud. I was proud to see them work hard, improve, and then stand up to do something that some of them dreaded doing. And they did great!! I was near tears as I watched each one of them stand up and present. Every time they repeated a word to get the pronunctiation right, I imagined them hearing my voice in their heads repeating those difficult pronunciations over and over again. I know they were also hearing the voices of their professors who conscientiously took them through the steps of their experiments and then watched over them as they put together their presentations.
I watched 15 young people grow that day. I expect they will grow far and beyond anything I could imagine for them. It won't be long before they are pushed out of the safety of this university nest. And when they go, I and their other professors will stand back and cheer as we watch them fly.
Good job guys! Good job!
