I have been a teacher for over 10 years, and I have seen hundreds of students come and go. Some of them I remember for a while, some I will remember for always, and some I forget the minute they walk out of the classroom door. Teachers are human, and it is only natural that some of our students touch our hearts more than others.
I got a phone call today from three students who I have been tutoring twice weekly for the past few months. These girls had all failed a test that they needed to pass in order to get their high school diplomas. One had failed the test twice; the other two had each failed it three times. All three doubted their ability to pass this time as well. After months of intensive tutoring, they took the test yesterday. This afternoon my phone rang:
"Hello?"
"Hello? Mrs. Superraizy? It's me! It's X! I passed the test! I passed I passed I passed!!!"
"Wow, that's fantastic, I'm so happy for you!"
"And Y and Z passed also! We all passed! And we're all getting our diplomas! Thank you so much! We couldn't have done it without you!"
(Well, sure they could have, had they listened in class and studied hard the first time, but I wasn't going to say that.)
So. I am so happy, so proud of them, so proud of myself. I'm just shepping a big huge bunch of naches all over the place.
I think that these three I will remember for always.
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6 comments:
I had a parent of one of my students ages ago tell me that she was going to have me brought on Oprah on a "Best Teacher" day. I'm still waiting for my call.....maybe Oprah can't find me because I moved to Israel? hmmmm.....
I have a soft spot in my heart for teachers because my dad was one. You will never forget those girls, but I promise you...they will never forget you.
Yes, just one of those calls makes it all worth while.
Kudos
At a professional symposium of educators teachers were bragging about some of their students' achievements. This one got a full scholarship to Harvard, that one to Yale. This one got a Westinghouse fellowship, that one a New York State Award of Excellence. One teacher was silent throughout all the bragging. Finally someone asked her if perhaps one of her students didn't do something worth mentioning. She smiled and quietly said: "Carl learned how to say Carl." And at that all fell silent in awe. You see, Carl was an autistic child and "Carl" was the first word he had ever spoken. The teacher, a speech specialist, had been working with him for almost 4 years. You bet she will remember him forever. It's the Carls who keep us going.
profk-
What a great story.
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