Sometimes I need to have more faith...

If you read the previous post, you'll know that I talked a lot about how stressful the last school week was for both me and the students. I was very concerned about their business project. I happen to think this business project was a great assessment of their knowledge of linear programming, so I really wanted them to do well on it. However, considering most of them did not turn their project in on time on Tuesday and seeing that most of them were incomplete, I was very worried. I brought the students' work to my Wednesday night class to discuss how I could have made the project more effective, etc. I got some really great suggestions, and they pointed out to me that maybe they needed more explicit instructions. In other words, maybe the students knew more than I thought but my questions were simply not evocative enough of the ideas I was looking for. I thought... perhaps. But I was not convinced.

However, sometimes I need to have more faith in my students. On Thursday, they gave their oral presentations on the business projects. I was soooo impressed! My class had been correct - they knew a lot more than I thought. Three students gave oral presentations of their own business projects, which was an extra credit assignment. And they were awesome! They were so well informed, and they had really great ideas. The students in the audience asked really good questions. It was a really productive session. What was even more awesome, I think, was that the rest of the students had to debate two different business proposals. And I was worried they were going to run out of points to argue, but again, I underestimated my students. They had so many amazing ideas that had never even occurred to me, and they got way too into the debate (haha). Sometimes they were standing on chairs and yelling at each other. (Okay, yes, it was a bit of a chaotic experience, but I loved it!) They were just so incredibly brilliant. Again, I was so proud. I love my students. And I learned that I sometimes need to give my students a little more credit. :)