A Warm Fuzzy

I had a student six years ago.  For my school, he was the typical 6th grade boy: chip on his shoulder, too cool for school, would talk back, lacked drive...and intelligent--extremely so.  I had him right after lunch, when the kids are at their amped-up worst.  Our school could be a ringing anti-endorsement for Jamie Oliver: the number of discipline referrals that are handed out in the period after our frozen, processed, one rotted apple in the line lunch is extraordinary.  But, I digress...

This guy was smart...so smart.  That's why he ticked me off so much.  He would come to class late, slouching through my door with a frown already in place.  He would challenge me with a mere glance: I'm not working today--try to make me, his eyes would say.  Man, did I ever ride this guy, too...because I KNEW he could do the work.  I KNEW he was smarter than anything I was dishing out.  When he did work: amazing.  He wouldn't turn in work for weeks, and then he would ace a test.  I got so frustrated with his lack of work that I would isolate him in a corner in the hopes that he could work better away from the others in the class that would distract him and get him off task.  I still remember the seething stares that would burn out from his eyes when I had him in that solo desk.  He ended up doing work there, and I think he hated giving in to my requests, but there was nothing else he COULD do while alone.

At the beginning of this school year--Fall 2011--he showed up in my doorway.  It had been years since I saw him, but I still remembered, with shame, isolating him to force him to put some effort into his work.  I thought he'd just give me a quick hello and then run away.  He didn't.  He gave me the biggest smile and walked confidently across my room, arms outstretched, ready to hug me.  Wait...WHAT???  Why is he hugging me, I thought?  I rode him like a jockey trying to get the Triple Crown.  He told me he was going to DeVry for the year and then going to apply to Parkland, our local community college.  He left with a wave, and I thought, Huh.  Well, that was a GREAT start to the year!  Yay!...But why was he so happy to see ME?

It gets better.

He came to see me...AGAIN...yesterday, 4/25/12.  It was during my college prep class, but he quietly came in, with that huge grin again, to say hi.  He also told me he finished his year at DeVry and had already applied for the upcoming fall at Parkland.  I was so proud...so, SO proud.  He was, too.  I didn't think this boy would ever remember me as anything but that loud, annoying teacher who forced him to pen his thoughts.  Well, I guess he remembered me as something else, too.  I didn't ask him as what, but just the fact that he actually sought me out TWICE to give me an update must mean that I meant something to him. 

And that's why I do what I do...everyday...no matter how hard it gets.