I was teaching third grade and had a little boy that
was extremely challenging, to put it lightly. He couldn't read, we had to
practice with counting chips, how to subtract zero from other numbers, and
so forth. On
top of his lack of learning, he came from a very bad neighborhood, with mountains
of anger built up inside of him. He would threaten me that he was going to get
his grandpa's gun and shoot me. I took the abuse daily, because I knew he was hurting inside.
One day, he finally got the concept of subtracting a
zero and actually got excited. Another student over heard and laughingly asked,
"You mean he doesn't know what 3-0 equals?" He immediately became
angry and threw the counting chips off the table.
I had many days of challenges with this hurting soul.
He even got up and left my room and was leaving the school yard. The office
called the police. When the officer arrived, he threw rocks at him. Another
officer had to pick his mother up from work to come and take him home.
Despite the walls he had built, I just knew I could get
to him. But, the psychologist came, then the behavior adjustment administrator,
next the removal from my room to another school. He then went to a special behavior
adjustment classroom with 6 other students, a teacher and an assistant. I felt
like he was the first student I had ever failed. I actually missed him.
Time passed and I moved to another school in the
district. He was there in the behavior adjustment classroom. When he saw me, he just glared.
I
thought he must have blamed me for everything. I still tried to speak to him,
but he would ignore me.
Luckily, he had an angel for a teacher that never gave
up on him. One Thanksgiving, she had prepared a nice Thanksgiving tea for the
boys and even used her china. Brave Woman! She videotaped the boys having the
tea and asked them what they were thankful for. She brought the tape to me and
told me to watch it. I'm still in shock over the china. When it was Christian's
turn he calmly said, "I'm thankful for Mrs. Davis." Tears rolled down
my face, because the little boy that I was sure I had never reached was brave
enough to say this, in front of the others without thinking twice.
He restored my faith in my abilities and taught me to
never give up! I think of him and his words all of the time. Although, I have
had many successes and pats on the back as a teacher, he truly put the medal of
honor around my neck.
