One of the best feelings ever as a teacher is when your shy, hesitant students start to participate more. This week, two boys in my first class and one girl in my second class really came out of their shells. I could tell in previous lessons that they understood the material but were insecure speaking in front of the class. I really emphasized to my students that our classroom is a safe space; it’s okay to be wrong, we are all learning. When these three students raised their hands today, I felt so proud. I was proud of the environment I had created, but I was even prouder of my students. Being more confident in Spanish class will enable them to be more confident as a person overall. I’m excited to see how they’ll continue to grow over the semester.