I see your fear
that your words are inadequate,
that what you offer is not
good not
enough not
good enough.
But your words are.
Have faith that when you climb to the heights
when you are brave enough to free your words
that I am holding the ladder steady
so you won’t fall.
.
.
(A teacher poem)
Shawn L. Bird 
Steady encouragement 🙂
I hope it works.
I love the sentiment behind this poem and the wording you used — the ladder metaphor — very powerful and apt! I, too, am an English teacher, and I have found over the past decade or so that teaching writing is the most challenging and the most rewarding thing I do. Writing is so personal, so we must navigate the balance of admonishing and encouraging to help the students improve, while remembering not to crush their spirits. I liken it what Yeats said: Our students “being poor, have only [their] dreams; / [they] have spread [their] dreams under [our] feet;” So, we must “Tread softly because [we] tread on [their] dreams.”
Yes.
My current multi-grade creative writing class is compiling an anthology, and there are 2 or 3 students who are very nervous about contributing, despite my promises that I will edit with them to ensure the quality of their piece(s) is sound. They’re allowed to use pseudonyms. The fear of what others will say overwhelms them and is unfounded, because their words are just as valid as everyone else’s submissions.
This has a similar theme to my most recent poem “incredible”…It’s true we have to believe in ourselves as being good enough
or even worthy of consideration, let alone good enough.
(As a rather spoiled princess only child, this was never my issue!) 😉
I treasure all those who are “holding my ladder steady, as I reach various heights that previously knew my acrophobia.
Well put!
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Loved this poem!
Thank you, Marla!
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Lovely. Touched my heart. Teachers soooo rock! 🙂
Thank you, Susan. I feel that way about my students as well as my colleagues.