Teaching is the richest profession.

By curiousillusion ( January 5, 2010 at 5:27 pm) · Filed under work,

[This happened a few weeks ago but I wanted to save this for another day. I think, on the heels of my dream from the other night (which hasn't come true just yet, but still may), it should be posted today.]

I had a dream the other night. I usually don’t remember my dreams too well, but I remember this one vividly… and I think it stands out more in my mind because it featured a student that I haven’t seen since June.

This child, and we’ll call him D for the sake of this post, was a handful from the start – I was even warned about him on meet the teacher night. He was willful, defiant, and immature – he would at times refuse to pick up a pencil to complete his work, he drew on my tile floor with crayon, he stole things from me and other students. There were many battles between us at the beginning of the year and, to be honest, I think neither of us really won. He was exhausting. He was absent a lot and while at times I was glad for the break from him, I knew that academically he was very low and *needed* to be in school in order to catch up. But catching him up was hard, school didn’t interest him – getting in trouble did. He seemed to do everything he could to get in trouble.

I’ve always said that patience is what I need to work on and another teacher helped me learn how much patience D needed. Rather than getting frustrated at his immaturity, I learned to make *everything* into a game for him. I realized that he was stealing because he didn’t get food at home and he was hungry… .(Also, sometimes he stole just because he wanted something and knew he wasn’t going to get it.) I learned to save snacks for him in my classroom, and the other teacher and I taught him that he would earn rewards, that he didn’t have to steal things.

I started to get to know him more. I read his file and learned about all that he had been through in the mere five years of his life. I learned more about the family that he was with and appreciated why he was the way he was. He would fall asleep in class and I started to let him, knowing that most times he didn’t get home until 10pm and was woken up at 5am. The battles started to end and he started to open up to me. He had the cutest giggle and at times I would work extra hard to hear that little sound. Other times just seeing me would make him giggle and my heart would just melt.

He never came to school for the end of the year party and I never got to say goodbye to him.

In my dream, I was walking with my mother in a gymnasium. All of a sudden, D came running of nowhere to see me and I easily picked him up and swung him around. His face was messy, his hands were sticky, but he had the biggest smile on his face.

I don’t know what happened to him, but he’s been on my mind and in my heart ever since I last saw him. He has a rough family life and I know things will never be easy for him. It shouldn’t be that way. At the beginning of the year I wanted him out of my room and now I’d give anything to see him again and know that he was okay, that he was being taken care of.  And to hear that giggle again.

Every year that I teach, I seem to find a student that touches my life and completely turns what I thought I knew upside down. Four completed years of teaching, four students.

This is quite the profession I am in. The pay is miserable but the payoff is rewarding.. I am a rich person indeed.

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  • Quave
    This is probably your best post, Ari.
    Thanks for sharing.
  • What an amazing and beautiful post! D sounds like the type of kid that will remain in your heart forever. I think you're right, there are always one or two special kids each year that forever change us. That is the true reward of teaching.
  • Aaaand I'm bawling. This is why I paint portraits of children, and why I dream of writing and illustrating children's stories. I even think it's the reason I don't want to have a child. I'd rather adopt.

    They are so fragile but so strong and resilient. So often they need an escape, but rarely get one.

    You were an escape and a life lesson for D. I am SO beyond thankful that you were able to be in his life, no matter how short a period of time.

    I work for a teen shelter. Sometimes you have 3 months with these kids. Sometimes 3 hours. You do what you can in the time you have.

    LOVE always makes a difference. Even if you can't see how it turns out.
  • ari_b
    Wow. . . I teared up. I hope things improve for the little man - its always sad to hear about a kid with a hard life.

    I'm definitely envious of the fact you have a job you enjoy so much! Yay for you!
  • I can't remember the last time a blog post made me tear up. Ari, you captured the wonderful world of teaching. I miss it so much. I'm happy for you. Cherish every moment of it.
  • These are the things that make me realize I'd be a horrible teacher - and make me very glad that there are truly wonderful teachers like you who work so hard to do it right.
  • Wow what a story, you sound like a great teacher though!
  • soozun
    Wow - that is so touching! This really makes me appreciate all my sons teachers even more...I know it can be a very difficult and thankless job at times, but then there are moments like this. I hope that he also thinks of you fondly ~ and who knows ~ maybe you had a great positive influence on him!
  • I'm not a teacher and never was, however I did work in a daycare for about two years and our daycare wasn't the type that was all play. We did a lot of educational things and of course the daycare educators took on the roles of "teachers". It IS rewarding. 100%. I agree.

    I'll admit there were days that I wanted to kill some of the kids, I would get so annoyed with them and other instances they would melt my heart.

    I love reading blog posts like this. So touching.
  • mycognitivedistortion
    This is such a sad story. Happy and sad at the same time.

    I feel so bad for D. He wasn't getting enough sleep the poor thing. And not eating at home? That's just.... ugh!!!!

    You're certainly helping me make my decision. I'm still terrified though.
  • justtheashes
    *tears in eyes*

    And THIS is exactly why were become teachers.
  • That's a fantastic post. Thank you for doing what you're doing. It must be difficult to never see these kids you work with so hard again, but know that they are out there - and that you DID make a difference. I know from experience. :D
  • I can't wait to start teaching. I look forward to things like this. This is an amazing story. Thanks for sharing with me and reminding me why I'm going to college.
  • That's why I love teaching so much. Today my para and I were miming things and leaving blank in over-exaggerated ways trying to get a couple of kid say "Derby". They were laughing and laughing. It made making fools of ourselves worth it.

    Us teachers are rich indeed.
  • What a dream, and what a story... I do hope things will get easy for him.

    If you don't get to see him again, I do hope he finds another teacher with as big a heart as yours to help him with any difficulties he may go through.
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