When I returned to teaching this week, I couldn't wait to hear the reactions from my harshest critic, regarding my summer trip.
Last spring, one of my students continuously told me that there was no way that I would ever get to Turkey, let alone last a month there. I didn't mind because I enjoyed her good-humored ribbing
Before school let out for the summer, I showed her the ticket, and she said, "Wow!" That was enough for me, but I still wanted to hear what was on her mind.
Unfortunately, I found out that she transferred to another school, but this week she dropped by my room to see me. She caught me up on her summer, and after several minutes, I couldn't help but ask.
"So what did you think about my trip?"
For a minute or two, she seemed to be going through some kind of internal struggle about whether she would actually say something positive. Finally, she said, "It was pretty cool." That's a lot for a teenager.
The whole point of my journey was to show my students that people are good and that anything is possible. Last spring, this particular student was firmly in the camp that believed that people were evil.
Before she left my room last week, I had to ask her one final question,"Do you think now that most people might be good?" Again, she seemed hesitant to say anything but replied, "Maybe. I'll think about it."
That, alone, made me feel that the trip was a success.
Mark, that is HUGE. The fact that you made this little skeptic even THINK about it is huge. But what will really be cool is years from now when you read about her doing something truly beyond your wildest expectations -- you can know that you probably had some small part in inspiring her to expect more, too.
ReplyDeleteJoanie