A nice story

I went to get my haircut and they were very busy so I had to wait quite awhile. While I was waiting my phone rang and it was the robo caller telling me we are back at school tomorrow - we've been out for 3 days due to the blizzard. There was a young man about 30 years old also waiting for a haircut. When I hung up my phone, I told my son who was also there that I had to go back to school tomorrow. The young man said to me "Oh are you a teacher?"

My first reaction was oh no, this guy's going to say something nasty about education or teachers and I am just not in the mood. So I said yes and then made some lame comment about the weather. Turns out this young man had just moved here from the south and was trying to get used to a midwestern winter. So we talked about that for a few minutes and then he asked me what I teach. So I told him I was a sped teacher and he asked what grades and I told him. And I was still just not wanting to have this conversation.

Then he tells me when he was 8 years old, he was diagnosed with ADD. And I'm still having negative thoughts - so I gear up getting ready for the mean 3rd grade teacher story. And he asks me if I have ever taught kids with ADD and I say yes, quite a few in fact. He tells me he just hated school, especially elementary school. He doesn't remember much but he just couldn't sit still and was very unhappy. But about the same time he was diagnosed ADD, he started going down the hall for an hour a day to Mrs Simpson's class. And he said he thinks she was a sped teacher, like me. And his face just beamed while he was telling me how much he loved Mrs Simpson. He couldn't remember the names of any of his other elementary teachers or most of his high school teachers but he will never forget Mrs Simpson.

And then he says "You teachers are getting beat up bad these days, aren't you?" And I said yes we are. He said that every time he hears anyone criticize a teacher, he remembers Mrs Simpson and how much he loved her.

And I start to cry.

Then he feels bad. And I feel bad too. Plus I'm embarrassed.

So he asks me if I think Mrs Simpson would mind if he tried to call her. I said oh of course not, call her, she'd probably be thrilled to hear from you. He says he doesn't even know if she is still teaching but he wonders if he calls the school if they will put him in touch with her. And I say yes they can probably do that. And I tell him that one of my former students recently found me on Facebook and I loved hearing from him. So he said he would look for her on Facebook.

Then we chatted for a few minutes about what he does for a living and how it's still hard to sit still but he remembers to get up and walk around for a few minutes like Mrs Simpson taught him to do in the 3rd grade. He says he can't imagine that all of these people who criticize schools and teachers never had even one teacher they loved as much as he loved Mrs Simpson. Or one who taught them as much as she had taught him. And he wonders why people don't remember that one teacher they loved before they open their mouths and start trashing teachers.

And then they called him for his haircut and he asked if he could shake my hand.

And I cried again.

just wow!

...too. That is a really sweet story. It's the kind of thing that keeps teachers going and gets us through the tough times. I'm glad you posted it. :grouphug:

BTW, discussion with the mediator is still underway (6pm PST)at the district office to avert the NSD strike scheduled for tomorrow morning. Cross your fingers that they will be successful.

...thread, but here's the link:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/feb/03/national-city-teachers-prepare-walk-negotiations-c/#


Strike averted. :)

My wife is a head start teacher... she gets so frustrated with the system sometimes she just hates her job. (not the kids just the administration) I tell her she is making a difference in those kids lives. Teachers sometimes do lose the feeling that they are actually affecting their students in a meaningful way. I can attest that they affect their students more than they could ever imagine. Mostly for the good of course....

My wife and I will be in a grocery store and a former student of hers will see her and come running up to her with a big grin....genuine joy.

She has taught elementary grades also... 3rd.. and 6th grades and still has students stopping by to see their favorite teacher from elementary school after many years.

I don't know the reason we all are floating thru space on a rock, but I do know our society can only be as good as those that teach our children.

It's the most important job on the planet besides parenting.

Thank you for doing your job and doing it well.

Peace

Kim

>>>Then we chatted for a few minutes about what he does for a living and how it's still hard to sit still but he remembers to get up and walk around for a few minutes like Mrs Simpson taught him to do in the 3rd grade.>>>

I think obamaduncanism.... obsessed as it is with collectivism, conformity, control, MEASUREMENT(!!!)... is even more unpopular within our subculture than it is with teachers generally.

How long would it have taken Duncan to figure out that the kid needed to walk around for three minutes?

How many school "reformers" does it take to screw in a light bulb?

K and R

I am still angry that the current high stakes testing has replaced the tests we used to give our sped kids. I got great diagnostic and prescriptive information from those tests. And they were individually administered. Relatively painless.

I think we sped teachers were pissed off about NCLB before our co-workers. And this latest data bullshit is just too insane - when I think we are now keeping data on 3 year olds, I want to scream.

Could we ask the reformers to solve the light bulb problem? I'm thinking it would keep them busy for awhile.

Thanks for your nice words.

I spoke during the service.

She was special.