What I Learned About Teaching From Doing Karate: Day 5

On the day before my black belt test, I was as nervous as all get out, but one thing that helped a lot was a card given to me by my class. Somehow one of my students at the time, Ben Krege--who was already a black belt at my dojo, managed to get everyone to sign a big card for me wishing me good luck. I was so touched that I tucked it into my equipment bag to wish me luck. During the test, I would playfully open my bag and give it a thumbs-up.

Sometime over the week after my test, I laminated the card and to this day, it hangs in my classroom. It's one of those things I just couldn't take down after the big "educational stuff only" decree that went out at the end of last year regarding things that hang in your classroom. If anyone wants me to take it down--that card which gave me so much encouragement--they will have to go through an Adamson's black belt to do it.

One of my students, as we were lining up for the buses that day before, said, "Good luck, Mr. Carter!"

I replied, "We'll see. Hopefully I will get it."

To which she replied, "As far as we're concerned, you've already got it. No matter what they say."

That was a great feeling.

As soon as the test was over, I showed Ben that I had kept the card in my bag the whole time for good luck. He teared up, and that's when I realized that he had no idea what it would do for me to know that all of my students were pulling for me, no matter whether they knew karate or not. More importantly, that he had thought enough of me to take the initiative to make the card and have everyone sign it.

This is where I learned the power of encouragement. It is something I'm in constant battle to improve upon, but I really think this battle began right then and there. It's where I realized just how powerful a good, kind word can be. I do my best never to let some appreciation or encouragement go unspoken. But when I need shaken from complacency, I just think back to that day. I could have done anything at that point.

Never pass up an easy time to encourage anyone. That's what I learned from experience.