The student speaker who sought help in writing her speech was told, “Our goal is to make them cry. If you are willing to share your vulnerability, you will inspire them and they will cry.”
Meeting Learners Where They Are
That's not possible.
Last week, I took photographs for the Adult Education Recognition Event. Although I don’t work in Adult Ed now, I did work in that department in various capacities from 2002 through 2020. I taught GED classes and English as a Second Language classes along with managing the adult literacy program for most of my Adult Ed tenure. All of these positions brought to me the opportunity to meet and interact with Adult Ed students of all kinds who had all sorts of dreams and goals. Our mission included meeting learners where they are and supporting them along their journey to achieving those dreams. We made it a point to always encourage, never discourage, but sometimes that was difficult when we thought the goals students set for themselves were unrealistic.
For example, one student – let’s call her Sally – came to us at the beginning of one fall semester. She tested at the fourth-grade level and told us that she wanted to pass the five subtests and earn her GED by the end of that academic year. Her goal was to walk across the stage at the Adult Ed Recognition Event in the middle of May. We all told her that was a good goal while internally we were shaking our heads in doubt thinking that is NOT possible when starting at a fourth-grade level.
Sally proved us wrong, however. We had never before encountered a student who was so determined and so focused. Sally’s whole life revolved around achieving that goal. At that year’s recognition event, Sally not only walked across the stage to receive her certificate of achievement, but she also shared her story with the audience. Her story included the struggles she faced before she found us in Adult Ed and the obstacles to earning her GED that year.
Years of Adult Ed Events
I'm not sure she believed me.
Unsurprisingly, her speech included her gratitude to each of us who had had a part in her success during the past year. Surprisingly, though, she thanked ME for giving her a shoulder to cry on. She indicated that I was the compassionate one who listened and gave her space to process her personal drama, so she could then focus on her studies and succeed when none of us thought that was possible in the time frame she had given herself. That I was the one thanked for this particular trait was surprising because, if you ranked all the people in the department who had a nurturing, mothering temperament, I would have been at the bottom of the list.
Fast forward 15ish years to this year’s Adult Education Recognition Event. I’m no longer a daily presence in the Adult Ed Department, but I support them whenever I can hence my agreeing to take photos for their recognition event last week. I now work in the Tutoring and Writing Center (TWC) where, as fate would have it, I met one of the student speakers for this year’s Adult Ed event. She had participated in last year’s event and was asked to return this year to inspire others with her success story.
When she came to the TWC for help with writing her speech, all the writing tutors were busy, so she miraculously ended up with me. She had never given a speech prior to this event and was not sure where to start with writing one. Since I have attended almost every Adult Ed Recognition Event for the past 23 years, I knew exactly what effect she should aim for: I told her our goal should be to make people cry. I’m not sure she believed that should be our goal, but she poured her truth into that speech and delivered it with confidence and passion. I bet most people in the audience would never have guessed it was her first official speech.
People Struggle, People Achieve
I guarantee it.
At the reception following the event, strangers came up to her to tell her they cried or had tears in their eyes by the end of her speech. When I caught up to her in the middle of my snapping candid shots of people celebrating their accomplishments, she proudly told me we had done it. In truth, though, she was the one who succeeded. They were her words, not mine, delivered by her, not me. I just offered her speech-giving tips and encouragement to share her vulnerability with others.
If you ever need inspiration, if you are looking for a pick-me-up event, or if you need confirmation that hope is alive, you should plan on attending next year’s Adult Education Recognition Event. I could have chosen any student speaker from any of the recognition events over the past 20 years and you would have heard the same stories: people struggled, people persevered, people achieved. With more than 20 years of experience in this arena, I can guarantee that next year’s event will offer more amazing stories that uplift and inspire.
Sending you amazing amounts of encouragement and love,
Angela Jane