Growth

I had one of those moments today where all of a sudden I see subtle change, progress, all at once.

I am just back from a 10 day vacation to recoup and revitalize... today was my first day back to work. This is the last week of my nursing school class. The class officially ended in June, but we extended some class hours to cover information we just couldn't fit in prior to the semester ending. The class has already started their clinicals, and now they drag in hot, sleepy and tired after blazing through clinics all morning, but they are gracious enough to stay awake and ask questions despite the afternoon heat..

I am amazed at the difference their encounters in the clinical, hands-on system makes in their interest in class work. I was exactly the same kind of student, so I can identify. Nothing makes you want to learn faster than looking a patient straight in the eyes and wanting to DO something smart for them.

My nursing class is smaller than just a month ago, the students who didn't hack the class work mysteriously absent. But the class before me are the students who studied, who asked questions, who learned... and who are moving ahead with their education, more motivated than ever before. Some of the faces had horrible first test scores, but buckled down and brought their grades from F to A. That's motivation, folks.

The classes in July have been a rapid fire, "this is what I want to expose you to before I set you free" information overload. But my new class can handle it. And after a few weeks in clinicals, I can hardly keep up with their questions, now more sophisticated, now more thoughtful, now clearly reflecting newly molded scientifically thinking minds. Sure there is still the, "Dr. Kim, I heard this story on the radio, do you think its possible or is it a lie?" The difference is when I say, "in my experience, I don't know of this happening, but I certainly don't know everything" I can see for the first time students thinking for themselves, considering different options instead of just taking whatever the radio or the teacher in front of the class has to say. And that is the most exciting thing ever.

So today, I was suddenly hit by a realization that my nursing students are growing up... in only 7 short months, they've gone from barely being able to speak the language of science to asking critical questions and thinking for themselves. You can see in their questions the patients they want to help with their newly acquired knowledge. If I wasn't excited about the nursing school before, I sure am now.

Today, being a new single mom as Patrick is now in the States visiting his family and friends, I brought Solomon into the class with me. Now no longer shy about wanting some of his affections, my students quickly grabbed him so I was free to work at the chalk board. But today two beaming students sat him on his own in a chair between them; Solomon looked back and forth at their adoring faces, and then at me as if to say, "go ahead Mom, teach already!" He has gone from a little baby in a car seat, sleeping and crying and eating mid-class (thanks to the patience of my students) to the tiniest little student in a class, sitting in a chair holding his own, gazing up at me with his big beautiful brown eyes self contained around a room-full of acquaintances.

Wow, 7 months can hold a lot of change.

My students have learned and matured. My little boy has grown from infant into pre-toddler, clapping and giggling and saying "papapapapapapa" and other baby verbiage that I'm just to dense to figure out.

Not everything we do here is measurable. And not every day holds moments when I can take stock. But today, in a moment, standing in front of a class, fielding questions and looking in love at the most adorable "ti elev" in the class, was one of those days.