This prompt makes me feel a little odd because I know that when I am able to accomplish something, it is because of the grace, gifts, and opportunities that God has given me.
So, it feels a little bit strange to be proud of my accomplishments. Gratefulness seems more appropriate.
Maybe I’ll edit and ask myself instead, “What’s something I’m particularly grateful I’ve been able to accomplish?”
One thing that comes to mind is my main blog. I had no huge aspirations when I made my WordPress account back in 2008, and I am grateful and amazed at the way my blog has grown, and grateful that I have been able to help so many people.
It’s a little hard to put into words, but when I think about the fact that I am able to sit here in my house and, in some small way, improve the lives of thousands of people I will likely never meet…well, that is something to be grateful for!
It feels like such a gift to be able to do something I enjoy that is also meaningful and helpful, and I am thankful for this opportunity.
This is a bit random, but . . . teaching math. When I started my job as a teacher’s aide last year, one of my duties was helping a 4th-grade student who needs extra assistance, and that meant math. My own son was in 4th grade, and I absolutely could NOT understand the method of teaching math that he was bringing home with his homework. For the first few months I was supposed to be teaching it, I felt like a total imposter. I was never “good at math” as a student, and I felt like that was carrying over. But! After a year of listening to the lessons, and studying the teacher’s book, I’ve finally figured out the method and its attendant vocabularly and tricks. Like a lot of other things, it’s more a matter of knowing the terms and process than it is any innate ability.
Whether I believe it’s the best way to teach math is another matter, but at least I feel competent to teach it now. And I also feel like I’m finally overcoming that mental label I had given myself that I was not a “math person.” Turns out, I’m pretty good at it. At least, 5th-grade math. I devoutly hope I never have to teach trigonometry . . .
I need you to come help me with my 5th grader’s math. I can barely do it!
Is it Eureka Math? Because NO ONE can do that unless they’ve really studied the method. It’s so frustrating for parents.
It is hard to talk about our accomplishments (but it shouldn’t be!). I’m proud that I finished grad school while my husband was in the police academy and we had two small kids. That wasn’t easy.