“Think clearly; You are far more capable than you know.”
These words were said by my math teacher back when I was in middle school at M.S.246. My teacher’s name was Ms. Mathis. I don’t believe that was her real name; I think that’s what the class called her. There was this project I believe was a practice test that the whole class was taking: she asked me why I didn’t trust my answer. I wrote two different answers for a question and I told her that I didn’t know if I was right. She told me to trust my answer instead of change My answer to check if it is correct. Think instead of doubting the answer it is far more effective then choosing two of the answers.
Ms. Mathis was always a strong figure. She was the reason why math is such an easy process for me. She showed me so many tips and tricks and how to make math equations easier. The most important thing for that class was how to look at an equation. Don’t look at the whole thing, see it as a sum of pieces that each can be deconstructed piece by piece .The new view of the equation affects other things that I was learning; It helps my other classes like science, reading, etc. Well even now I do not see the problem as a whole thing but each part that can be handled individually even at different times. I believe that what she meant by capable even of those little pieces of advice changed my view of things that others may see as insignificant.
Critical thinking is very important.
Very good. Ms. Mathis sounds like a teacher who made you feel more confident. Good description of words from the math teacher.
NOW — here let’s try to turn this into a scene and create theatre of the mind. Start with:
“Think clearly; You are far more capable than you know.”
These words were said by my math teacher back when I was in middle school at M.S.246. My teacher’s name was Ms. Mathis. I don’t believe that was her real name; I think that’s what the class called her. The project was a practice test [on what skill] that the whole class was taking[.] [Ms. Mathis was circling around the room and she saw that I was stuck.]
She asked me[, “W]hy [don’t you trust your answer?”
I didn’t trust my answer. I wrote [had written] two different answers for a question, [so I told her, “I d[on]’t know if I [am] right.
She told me, “[T]rust [your] answer instead of chang[ing it to check if it is correct. Think instead of doubting the answer[.] [I]t is far more effective then choosing two of the answers.”
And she was right…..[give the detail of how you did on the test]. Later after the practice test, she pulled me up to her desk and told me again to trust myself and she added, “Think clearly; You are far more capable than you know.”
Then describe the other things you learned in her class.
Then — Have Ms. Mathis words to trust yourself, that you are capable, has this quote continued to echo in your ears at other critical times in your educational journey?