Graduation

As many of you know, in my previous life I taught elementary school. I loved teaching, but found that it drained me emotionally because I could not separate life from school. The kids’ problems became my problems and I felt I had to leave after 3 years.

What many may not know is that I became a teacher, because/in spite/despite a very mean hearted teacher and principal I had in grade 8. Let's say I had some 'home issues' that were spilling over and affecting/effecting me and my school life. So what did these two yahoos do, you may ask? Well the teacher told me in front of my class that I would never graduate from HS because of my work ethic (she was in the school from the time I entered in kindergarten... I was an A student until the last few years when the problems started... but she never figured she would check to see what may have been causing the trouble) and the principal called me into his office and said that I should look up words in the dictionary (can't rem the exact words at this time, but ones that would describe a trouble maker), because that was how he and the school perceived me. Not once did either simply ask... what's wrong!!! (note: that is a very short account of a grade 8 year, straight from hell!)

Well I was determined to one day become a teacher and help change the life, or at least make the difference in a student's life in a positive way. Well the last school I was at had one such student. He was a mild 'trouble maker' but with such a warm spirit... but LAZY :) I never did find out what was 'wrong' with him, but he did know that he could come to me and exhale when need be. I did my best to work with him through the year. There were times when he really hated the fact that I was his teacher, because I pushed him academically, but I still made sure that he trusted that someone was always willing to listen when need be.

He graduated before I left the school and thanked me for listening and never giving up on him.

It's funny how an individual looks for validation... I was expecting that he would call me at the school to say how he was doing in HS, or, he had a sister in my school still, so he should come by once a month or so to say hello, I expected a big card, or maybe a skywriter to say there you go kiddo, you're a great teacher, you made a difference, but nothing, just a simple thank you :)

I learned years later to appreciate that thank you and I have cherished the fact since then.

Yesterday, I picked up an e mail, from guess who? student x

He is writing me to ask a favor...

He is graduating from HS, and would consider it an honour to have me attend. He will be leaving for a couple years to study abroad and hopes he can see me before he goes, because he really misses me :)

He said he would write soon so that I could catch up on his life, I told him no problem, just hold the mustard... (my students made sure to advise me not to become a stand up comedian)

In the end, your answers come from where and when they need to... you can not force the world to conform to your needs, but rather adjust yourself to enhance the environment around you and no matter what the response is, you can get something out of it.

I don't think that by any means I saved student x, but then again, who knows... maybe I was just there when he needed an extra push to get him through a rough patch.

So I get to witness a lil boy enter the wild wide world as a man and I am proud of him.

This is better then any silly little skywriter... I miss teaching.