Regular readers of this post will recall a recent column
where I shared some of Barb’s story (you can check it here: http://umakeadiff.blogspot.ca/2013/04/and-we-wonder-why-homework-is-not-done.html) and remarked
about the powerful impact teachers have on the lives of their students.
In sharing
her story with me, Barb has grown in her confidence and desire to be a change
agent in the lives of the students she works with. I remain in awe of the
strength she has displayed and the challenges she has overcome to reach a stage
in her life where she is a respected educator, passionate Mom, and an advocate
for the welfare of kids in crisis. In the midst of all this, she took the time
to send me a message.
I just wanted you to know I’ll be presenting at Mikisew School for the
Youth Conference. I will be sharing my story with Mikisew students. I am sure that
you would want to know that u have motivated me by sharing what would be
helpful to others, especially the children. That is why we keep doing what we do;
we are the voice of the innocent! Thank you again Tom.
And in that last line, I was left stunned. She wants to
thank me? No Barb, thank-you! Thanks for taking a bold step and opening
yourself up to kids who may be going through some of the same painful
experiences you did. Thank you for letting them see the impact of the choices
you made and the capacity that exists to rebound from those choices. Thank-you
for showing that vulnerability can occur despite the best of intentions and
that a teacher can be the best lifeboat in a sea of turmoil. Mostly, thanks for
your willingness to be that teacher to the next group of students.
As we move
to the end of another school year and we wonder if we’ll find the reserves to
get there, remember the impact you have in and on the lives of the students
before you. The change may not happen before your eyes or on the time you have
with the student. Plant the seeds of inspiration, remind them of their strengths,
nurture them to grow beyond their limitations, and trust that they will come
back to the lessons learned.
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