You don’t always get to be around for the results, but trust that the change is happening.
That’s one way to think about teaching. The lessons you’re teaching are seeds that often take time to germinate. Your students might blossom long after they’ve left your tutelage.
Yes, you can assess if they’re singing the right notes, if they have mastered the skill or memorized the date. But the lessons you’re teaching go far beyond what’s measurable on a test. And those are the lessons you have approach with trust.
Tonight I got to hear a young man talk about the growth and maturity he’s experienced thanks to the program I’ve mentored him through. It’s not often you get to hear that kind of reflection and see the growth up close. It had me thinking about all the students I’ve mentored and the trust I have that some of what I’ve taught has stayed with them. Whether I can confirm it or not, I trust in the impact I’ve made.