Getting to getting it

"After two years in this class, I finally get it!"

(It wasn't two years in the same course.  It has been two consecutive years of AP English.  But for most of us, it does often feel like one long (and wonderful) class together.)

My heart leaped up more than a little as I heard that exclamation from across the room where I was returning another student's essay.

"What is it you finally get?"

"Writing!
My essays!
How to make them better!
I have been trying to get a 6 on an essay for two years.  And I finally did it! Now I want to get another one!"

(Generally, I avoid exclamation marks, but given the level of excitement accompanying these staccato declarations, even more exclamation marks may be called for.)

There was so much about this student reflected in this short exchange:
-A desire to succeed, to grow, to reach the next level of development
-Grit and perseverance - two years (even two school years) is a long time to keep at something when it comprises nearly 10% of your existence on the planet
-Metacognition - recognizing her own measure of understanding of the content
-Confidence that her knowledge of how to write an effective argument has been internalized and can be called upon in future situations.

For me, after the leaping heart, came the questions:
-What made the difference between not getting it and getting it?
-Could we have found that thing sooner somehow?
-And how?

Learning is still a mystery to me.  I know it when I see it.  And I have some pretty effective strategies I use to try and help students get there.  But still, to know exactly what word, or movement, or period of silence is the thing that helps somebody move from the unknowing to the knowing would really give the teacher some power.

I hope that one of these days I will be the one declaring "I finally get it!"

(No quantity of exclamation marks will be sufficient to punctuation that exclamation.)

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