“I’m going to read one of your pieces out loud today. I will not identify the author. I simply want to share this piece with you because it touched me when I read it.”
And she began to read…my words! Out loud. To an entire class of graduate students. My peers.
It was a strange, but wonderful experience. There I was sitting in a classroom, listening to the sound of my words, being the only one other than the professor who knew whose piece it was. Our secret. Three minutes that left me feeling proud and empowered, not to mention slightly embarrassed.
My one wish for all students, young and old, is for them to have that same experience. My wish for all teachers is that they are able to provide that for their students and make them truly feel like authors.
Forward 
I think you captured your feelings well!
I spent some time writing with third graders this afternoon. I gave them the option of saying OK or No, Thank You to the opportunity to share their writing. It was about half and half. Those who shared seemed to love it.
Wow!! That must have been the best feeling in the world. So special. I love how you said it was a secret between you!
This makes me think of moments I’ve had with my students. Moments that were between the two of us but helped them shine in the face of others. 🙂 It’s so important to have those moments and for us to make them happen as often as possible. Thanks for the reminder.
It is a good feeling.
This is why we teach. As teachers, we are always students, wanting to shine and be validated among our peers. I am so glad you shared this with us.
This is such a great memory and feeling. I hope that all my kids feel this too- they love to have me share their writing as examples and I can’t think of a better example than from a peer.
Last year when a bunch of us from the district participated in the March challenge we were invited to a School Board meeting. We decided that we would read each other’s writing in public at this meeting so we wouldn’t have to feel nervous to read our own. I watched as the slicer whose piece was being read, sat with tears in their eyes at the sound of their own words being read. I know exactly what you mean – and we know that this feeling continues on through adulthood!