God has ways of reminding you why you do a thankless job everyday, today was my day. In 5th grade we have a precious student. I just love him to pieces. I knew that DFACS had taken him away from his mother and he was living with Dad and step-mom. During the course of this school year he has mentioned things about the way his step mother treated him. Not allowing him to speak. Sending him to his room. No love or kindness shown toward him at all. He cried over Thanksgiving wanting his mom to come get him.
Well today he got sick at school. His homeroom teacher told him she would call his Dad and he's like... NO. Strange indeed. Well by lunch we got the counselor involved, he wouldn't come lay down in my room or anything. The counselor called the Dad and he was at work. She mentioned some of the things we had heard him say and the Dad says, "YES that was correct, but they were in counseling and it seemed like things were better." Folks, this baby has painted the bleakest picture of a homelife you can imagine. Precious child! So in essense we are the most love he gets everyday.
Let me tell you I didn't want that baby to ever get on the bus. He could live with any of us. No wonder he hangs on our every word and hug. My heart has been broken and my spirit must come to terms with this one. How can it be? Oh, most of them that we see, just get tough and mean after years of this type of abuse. But, he longs for a hello and to talk to us. He's always up and wants to say something. He's the child you end up telling to sit down. No more...he can talk to me...I so wanted to pick him up and hold him today, like I did my boys when they were sick, until they got too big! (they still want to lay there head in my lap when they don't feel good).
So tomorrow I will go to work and I will try to find more students who need kind words and to be loved. And while they probably won't pass the CRCT, I will make an impact on their lives to the point they know that they had someone once in their lives who cared.
3 comments:
They all need your love, regardless of home life. Unfortunately we are in a profession where people don't always love kids therefore they have bad experiences. I try to keep in mind every day something Dr. E says- on your worst day you could be someone's best-I always keep that with me...always. I have a little boy in my room, I love him, I do, but I have to remind myself 19,000 times a day "He can't help it, it is just his brain." He is so freaking ADHD it is unreal, he is so bright but he can't sit still or focus long enough to get simple directions like "Write your name on your paper".
I hate that you have a child that doesn't want to go home, I hate to know those things, but in a way maybe it is God's reminder of why are there, it has nothing at all to do with the test. There is a reason you are a teacher and I promise it isn't to ensure that they pass a test, but rather to teach them to the best of your ability help them progress and know that you made a positive impact in their life. I hated that test, that is why the week of the test I took the time to write each student a personal note every day and gave them a small gift every morning. We even made breakfast on the last day after the test. Just teach them & love them!
It took only reading a few sentences to know the exact child you were writing about...the same child who longs for my attention as well. He wrote me a small note once that said "you're the best." I'm sure he'll never know how much that note meant to me that day and I'll bet that he will never know that he gives more to us and does more for us in showing that he needs us and cares for us than we probably give to him. He is precious and kids like him are the ones that remind us that there are ones who care and though they all need our love sometimes we have to focus on giving them what they need and not worrying about tests or people who don't care at that given moment.
What a sad thing. That is what you're SO good at, though, so know you are placed in this situation for a reason.
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