On Potential

This past Thursday, I had a new joystick installed on my power soccer wheelchair. I had been playing with a joystick that had a force requirement of 250 gr, and my new one has a force requirement of 120 gr. My new joystick is identical to the one I have on my everyday wheelchair, but I had mistakenly bought one with greater resistance a few years ago for my soccer chair. I didn’t realize I actually wanted the “lite” version instead of the “standard” version, but then the pandemic hit, so practice stopped, and I didn’t get around to finding the one that I wanted.

I found that I could play somewhat well with my old joystick, but I could not unlock the full potential of my chair. I lacked certain skills, but it was because I didn’t have complete control over the joystick. For example, one important skill in power soccer is the ability to change directions quickly. Sometimes you find yourself going left, but you need to turn right immediately. I could drive my chair well, but those quick transitions were not that quick for me. Another critical skill is the ability to backup proficiently. I could drive backward in general, but it was still a challenge for me to transition from my general group to drive forward to the group I needed to pull back on the joystick. In short, I was limited by the combination of my physical ability and equipment.

I need to adjust to my new joystick. Many settings needed to be modified because it is twice as sensitive as my previous one. I started practice barely able to drive a straight line, but it got better by the end, and I am sure I will continue to get used to it. However, today's entire experience got me thinking about potential as an educator.

All students have potential, just like I have a certain amount of potential as a power soccer player. The extent to which they fulfill their potential relies on various factors. Students have a certain level of natural intelligence. Students are raised in homes that value education. Students are raised with the financial means to get tutoring if they need extra support. Students have varying levels of motivation and determination. Several factors impact whether or not a student can live up to his or her potential.

I suppose that my job as an educator is to play a small role in helping students reach their potential. Some students will naturally be more gifted than others and therefore have a higher ceiling. Some students with less natural ability will outperform students with greater natural ability because they work harder. In that scenario, the less gifted student is likely performing much closer to his or her potential ceiling. It could be said that this person is a better steward of his or her intellectual gifts. God does not call everyone to be a genius; not everyone can be. However, I can try to intellectually stimulate my students so that they work hard and attempt to do their best work.

I can also try to create an environment that allows that development to occur. Thinking about my wheelchair again, I needed to have the right equipment to make those quick movements required by my sport. Students need the right kind of environment to perform at their best as well. That is the challenge of education.

I felt good after seeing brief glimpses of some of the new things I will be able to do once I master this joystick and find the proper settings. I hope that is the experience that I can give to my students. I want them to leave class feeling like they were doing something that pushed them towards their potential. I suppose it is different for each student, but I hope they at least come away with that much.

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