I discovered the power of affirmation while enduring my first year as a public school teacher. I had the great pleasure of teaching rowdy, pubescent 7th and 8th graders in a low-income area of Southern California, and it was nearly impossible to get through to many of my students. I taught three periods of remedial writing, which really meant that I was tasked with keeping order in a classroom filled with students who scored very low on tests–mostly because they had unstable homes, no educational support, and/or spoke English as a second language. There are many students that come to mind from that time, but one young lady in particular faced serious difficulties. During the school year her older sister committed suicide and her parents divorced, so turmoil abounded in her life. She spent much of her class time trying to distract other students, and finding ways to avoid her assignments…