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Dear reader, you may think this is another story about Gov. Tim Walz from a former student. And while Tim Walz was my high school teacher; this is a story about his wife, Gwen — my toughest teacher, who taught me how to believe in myself.
In the field of psychology, there is a phenomenon called the Pygmalion effect. Effectively, the Pygmalion effect states that increasing the leader’s expectation of the follower’s performance will result in better follower performance. And when applied to education, it has been shown that a teacher’s expectations can have an impact on student outcomes, including student achievement and college graduation rates.
Candidly, I had no awareness of the Pygmalion effect as a student at Mankato West High School, but I did have Mrs. Walz. As I watched the Democratic National Convention with my daughters last month, it struck me how fortunate I was to experience having a teacher see the potential in me and challenge me in ways academically that seemed superfluous at the time. In her classroom, I had paper after paper returned with red marks from top to bottom. Disheartening. Demoralizing. Magically morphing into: Progress. Passion. Learning. Belief.
Mrs. Walz believed in all of her students, and she vocalized that belief. She selflessly gave her time and energy to ensure that my peers and I understood the lesson. Even when it was hard, most especially when it was hard, she told her classroom that we can and would master it.
Believing in people is a posture of the heart, and Mrs. Walz unfailing believed in her students. As the hopeful Second Lady of the United States, her strong belief in each and every person has the power to unlock limitless potential. The lesson plan may look at little different in Washington, D.C., but her expectations will undoubtedly lead to a stronger performance.
Mrs. Walz, if you happen to read this, thank you for believing in me. And I hope you are not redlining too much text.