Presence is worth far more than suggestions
Forgive me my histrionic headline, but I’m actually telling myself this. And I thought, if I need the reminder, maybe you do, too.
…
I met one of my adult learners of English yesterday. She’s a wonderful woman, warm, caring, studious, too cheerful at times. (Just a bit of false positivity and minimizing experience, something we all do from time to time, especially when we’re at work and need to be professional.) She is also far more grounded and authentic than she was just a year ago, because she went through a major life crisis (I won’t go into details, I’m sure you can imagine all sorts of life crises). She learned a lot through the experience, about how to take care of herself and her boundaries and that her worth does not depend on external forces. (Can I get an amen?)
She is also suffering from some health issues that stymie the local medical community; her doctors are unable to treat her competently. As her English teacher, my role in this conversation was to listen empathetically, give her space to express herself, and correct any mistakes I felt needed correction. It was certainly not to give her advice. Yet that is exactly what I did. (Sigh. Still learning.)
