THAT child

I read this blog post a couple of years ago  when it was first written.  I understood it then from a teachers’ point of view.

Today it was shared with me again and I realized I have a whole new understanding of it.  As acting principal I am in the unique place of being the last stop when parents find themselves completely upset and angry because one too many times their child has come home talking about an event at school.  They want to know what I’m doing about it. They want to know why nothing is being done. They want to SEE a change.

This post points out, from a teacher’s perspective some of the myriad things public educators DO when there’s a child who struggles. Truly, most children face a struggle at some point in their lives. Whether seen or unseen, publicly or privately, each and every one is struggling with something. I hope for each of our students that they are resilient learners. I hope that each child knows how very special and unique they are. I hope and believe that every child can learn and grow and excel. I know some get there more quickly. I know some walk through life more gracefully than others.

We are educators. We believe in the potential of every child. Even THAT one. My hope for each of the parents we serve is that their child is well served to the best of our capabilities. None of us show up to do anything less. Schools get terrible press. But we shouldn’t. The miracles that occur within our walls on a daily basis would surprise and delight even the most cynical among us. Often times the miracles are very personal to a child, to a family. We can’t always share the small miracles. We can’t always share the strides made. But we celebrate each and every one.

This evening I celebrate THAT child. And I lift up and hold EVERY child, YOURS, THEIRS, and OURS with the compassionate passionate belief that each one can and will thrive.

 

This is a favorite song, a sort of an anthem for this post. Truly, we are how we treat each other and nothing more.  

 

Note:  Amy, who wrote the blog post titled THAT child wrote a follow up for those who want to help. She was a kindergarten teacher who is now a principal at a school in Canada. Just thought you might like to know her ideas on how to help THAT child.

Thanks to Amy of MissNight’sMarbles for sharing her beautiful post and allowing me to link to it here.