Troublemaker.
That's the one word a student in our class thought best described him.
Troublemaker.
He chose that word because it's what he's been told.
Troublemaker.
He chose that word because it's how he feels.
Troublemaker.
Adults in his life made him believe it's true.
Troublemaker.
Kids encouraged him to embrace it.
Troublemaker.
I'm so glad we asked.
And ashamed that I might possibly have reinforced his opinion of himself if we hadn't.
It's a good reminder to me that I must always try to do better for these kids, no matter what I know or don't know about them.
Troublemaker.
Let's change that.
4 comments:
...can hardly wait for the finale
I absolutely loved this post as it gave me shivers. Everyday we forget that students are told incorrect information about them and that we must see the positives in every individual. So powerful. Thank you for that!
Thank you for the kind words.
I can so easily get lost in the minutia of daily teaching, and I can lose sight of the bigger picture. The only picture really. The kids. Each kid. That kid.
Thank you for this post, I think all teachers (and prospective teachers) need to be reminded of the power they hold over these children's self image. Sadly, often times we tend to forget that our students are going to take almost everything we say to them at face value.
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