Scaffolding

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In education, teachers use scaffolding to build confidence as students take on progressively more challenging tasks and learn to perform them with increasing independence. It's designed to minimize frustration as the student learns, and it plays a crucial role in a student's eventual mastery of a topic or process.

Scaffolding is the exact opposite of throwing someone in the deep end and expecting them to just figure it out. And, not surprisingly, it feels a lot more humane to the student, who is spared the sputtering, flailing, and panic of the sink-or-swim method.

If 2012-2017 were sink-or-swim years (and I assure you, they were--complete with all manner of sputtering, flailing, and panic), then 2018 was a scaffolding year for me. I can't tell you how grateful I am for the more humane approach.

2018 brought a new career field; meaningful creative work; once-in-a-lifetime opportunities like preaching at my mother's wedding and watching my oldest daughter graduate from high school; deepening relationships with people I love; and some bucket list moments like finishing my first half marathon. 2018 brought new voices, new traditions, and a new playfulness to our lives.

2018 had its stress and sadness, of course, but they pushed forward important breakthroughs much faster than usual. Less of the usual wallowing and whining; more of a productive mindset and proactive approaches to challenging situations.

2018 was a scaffolding year all right. And I can't wait to see what will grow under the support of all that scaffolding during 2019. It feels so good to be building something again.

Happy New Year, everyone!