Breathe In…Breathe Out by Harley

Breathe In…Breathe Out by Harley - February 2023 Scholarship Essay

“Breathe in…breathe out. Okay, great! Now let’s go back into class and make this day even better,” said almost every teacher ever, or at least that is what they should say. Students and teachers alike face situations that challenge every last ounce of humility and kindness they have, but the only thing that sets apart those who respond well and those who do not is the practice of patience.
Teachers deal with poor behavior from students and even other teachers on a near daily basis. Teachers will leave a lasting impact on students, whether that is for the better or for the worse. A student will remember getting yelled at by a teacher when they forgot to turn in homework the third night in a row. However, a student will also remember the teacher who pulled them aside, asked why they forgot the homework, and what the teacher can do to help. The difference between those two impacts is the use of patience from the teacher. Patience allows the teacher to take a moment and understand certain problem areas for a student. It is possible the student failed to do their homework because they did not care. It is also just as possible that the student had to cook their younger siblings dinner or teach their siblings how to do math. Without patience, a teacher only sees the negative possibility. The power teachers hold is great but is only beneficial if they actively try to understand students and their actions rather than becoming impatient and accusatory. Students respond far better to a patient teacher than they do an impatient one. Positive relationships between teachers and students lead to increased classroom engagement and cooperation. Students will listen better and become more intrigued to what the teacher has to say. Students also simply become more motivated to learn when they trust their educator. The foundation of this trusting relationship relies on patience.
In the classroom setting, students also have to practice patience. Unfortunately, many students often seem to forget that teachers are still human and are even actively learning as well. A teacher might take a few extra days to grade that homework assignment, but the students must respond with patience to keep a positive environment and relationship. Students must also exercise patience with their peers. Every time a classroom setting is changed, students are faced with new ideas, perspectives, and personalities. At all ages it can be difficult to cooperate fully or understand someone who has drastically different perspectives, but engaging with those peers and being patient will further education outside the classroom curriculum. Using patience in educational settings fosters cooperation amongst students who otherwise would likely avoid each other due to conflicting personalities. If a student of any age is impatient with someone else, it is likely that the easiest solution would be to avoid communication rather than potential conflict. Learning early on in education to have patience with peers in many aspects will allow a person to prosper and grow connections they otherwise would not have with impatience. The world we live in requires us to build connections in order to succeed. In any setting or workforce, we must apply, interview, or know someone to receive a job or opportunity. These connections amongst humans are what allows our world to function. Jean-Jacques Rousseau said “Patience is bitter but its fruit is sweet.” Patience can be difficult but it is obligatory. If people did not operate with patience, we would live in an entirely different dystopian society, lacking in human connection and motivation to build any connection.
Many people know patience as a virtue, but what about a necessity to education? The current discussion of patience inside education is a discussion that falls short. Teachers are told to keep words kind to children, but many still become accusatory when an assignment is late. Students are told to respect adults and peers but never told how. The answer to these problems is simple. We must enforce the discussion of patience and ensure students and teachers alike know the importance of practicing patience. When we are faced with a challenge that could cultivate impatience, we all must remember to breathe in then breathe out, even if it is harder than it sounds.