Resilience I always thought of myself as resilient, but after a day of working as a swim teacher, that word no longer seemed to describe me. I grew up playing “school” with my cousins and I taught at my church’s Sunday school. I knew that my destiny was to become a teacher, so when the opportunity to teach swim lessons sprung up I was quick to apply. After getting the job and completing training, I couldn't wait to teach my first class.
Seven AM. The sound of my irritating alarm clock pierced my ears. Although I had grown to despise the deafening buzz, this time I was ecstatic to get out of bed. My toes touched the ice-cold hardwood as I craved warmth, but I still felt peppy. Today marked the first day of my new job as a swim instructor. …show more content…
Finally, I ran through the training procedures, emergency action plan, and my parent talk once more in my head. A few minutes later I held up the lightweight sign which said my name. Four three-year-olds walk up and I immediately began to get them in the water and begin our lesson. Our time is shorter than an inchworm, so it was important to get the class started instantly. If I learned anything in my forty hours of training it was that I had to expect the unexpected, but I did not expect to have four crying three-year-olds in my very first class. The first young girl began to scream as loud a metallic band because I had to put fins on her. Next, the bright blue-eyed boy, who was my initial favorite, decided it would be a good idea to throw goggles across the pool. To make matters even worse, he also began to hit another boy causing, him to sob dramatically. Then, the final girl, Liza, started to shed tears too because he was too afraid to put her head under water. The entire thirty minutes of the class passed and the children did not stop crying. It was a terrible class! I had hope, but not even hope could help me get through the rest of the day. A collection of screams, tears, and temper tantrums set the tone for the rest of my classes. At the end of the day, it felt like my ears were going to start bleeding as they ached in …show more content…
I was exhausted from dealing with crying toddlers and my passion for teaching seemed to have gone down the drain along with my energy. I didn't know if this was something I could handle. That night I sat in my bed and came up with the conclusion that I would never be able to teach all those kids, I had to quit, I was a quitter.
The next morning I told my mom I was going to quit and she was taken aback. After minutes (which seemed like hours) of arguing she convinced me to not give up yet and instead work towards understanding the kids and their reasons for crying. I decided to trust her because my mom always seemed to know what was best. From school, to extra-curricular activities, and now work, this woman knew everything. The next day, I began analyzing what happened on my first day. Sitting alone in my room, I contemplated all the reasons that the kids could have cried. I read articles about kids who had a fear of water, reviewed my training handbook, and even texted my mentor teacher for advice. Over the course of five days, I educated myself about kids and how they respond to direction. I don’t think I have ever done that much research. I got encouragement from my mentors, knowledge from the many articles I read, but most importantly I got hope to persevere from my mom. I was determined to change