A great way to end a great day.
I was expecting today to be quite a difficult day because in the University I work for, it's Grade Consultation Day. Basically what that means is students get to consult with their professors and instructors why they got the grade they received for their subjects. You could already imagine how hard this could be (or how easy, depending on your personality) for professors and instructors with a good number of failing students.
I happen to be teaching a subject notoriously known for having a high "mortality rate", so I was already expecting complaints and tears from my students who didn't make it. What happened instead was nothing short of blessed.
Those who consulted with me after the official consultation hours (none came during the official hours, unfortunately) were understandably upset. As I was explaining to them the reasons why they failed the subject, I felt compelled to comment about their performance and give them tips on how to improve on their second take. One student even asked for advice about how to deal with the failure, and how to explain it to her parents; thankfully I know of someone who had the same experience and he was able to talk to her and give her a very genuine advice about it.
The next hour saw, I would think, my Father at work through me and through my friends, and I really felt the presence of something far bigger and more powerful than me. What could have been a hurtful and sad consultation instead turned into a motivational encounter, with my students leaving more on fire to take on the course again and less disappointed with the failing grade they received.
What really made my day though was when one of my students asked me if she could still ask me for advice even if I'm not her instructor anymore on any of the subjects she was taking. That to me was a definitive sign that my Father was indeed at work through me, even if I had my fair share of failures and shortcomings through the term.
I feel so blessed to have a wonderful Father entrust to me such beautiful students. Maybe one day I'd get to feature them in my blog. For now, enjoy this photo of an empty plate of the dinner I ate before I left the University XD
(I promise I'd try to get a better photo next time...)