When I was in 5th grade, I had the opportunity to have a teacher that changed the way I think about learning, and tactics I still use in my work today.
Math was never something I felt like I was good at. I had trouble understanding it and often needed extra help since 1st grade. After being diagnosed with learning disabilities in 3rd grade, this lack of confidence only worsened.
When I was in 5th grade, my teacher, Mr S., provided scaffolding with one- on-one work to help me gain confidence with math. He did this by encouraging me to ask a question when I looked or expressed confusion when learning concepts. At first, this was very uncomfortable and anxiety provoking for me. By the end of the school year, I took that honed skill and started to utilize it in all of my classes-especially in math.
Today, as someone who recently had to acclimate to a new company, I’ve been given kudos for the questions I ask about procedures, and protocols that help us to improve upon the processes already in place. I will always credit Mr.S for teaching me how to ask the good questions when needing clarification or having curiosity.