Don't Ever Give Up!
I taught for many years in a rough inner city school. Kids were in fights there on a daily basis. Many of the parents just didn't know how to help. I always told myself while I was there that if I could help one kid each year, it was worth the effort.I knew I was helping the kids on a daily basis even though I was worn thin much of the time. What I didn't realize was that I made a more lasting impact than what I had imagined at the time. I learned this from a retired substitute teacher.
At the school where I teach English learners now, we occasionally have substitutes whom I have worked with before. Last week, one of these substitutes told me that at an event at my old school, one of my former students, now in high school, came and spoke with a staff member about me. This student told the staff member that I had changed his life. I was dumbfounded. This was a student who had been in trouble on a daily basis.
I will call this student, William. I saw him waiting outside the office when he was a first grader. He was SO upset. Now I had been told that I was getting William in second grade, so my thought was to try to bond with him before he came to me. I sat down for a few minutes next to him we talked. It did make a difference when I got him in second grade. He knew I would listen to him and not just reprimand him. I had NO idea that my attentiveness had the effect that it did. It's just what teachers do everyday. I am writing to tell you that what you do and how you act towards children CAN change their lives. It's amazing :)
