"It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
J.K. Rowling Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
As adults, we all know that is a fact (don't we?). We choose, through our actions, who we become and who we are. We can't choose the things that happen to us, but we can choose how we react. Perhaps one of the greatest lessons we can teach kids is that they can be who they want to be. No kid is stagnant, they are 'not done yet.'
So, maybe part of our job is to show kids a variety of ways to be and model the positive side of life. My thought of the day is....are we doing that? With everyone??? Do our actions show kids everything our words portray?
When I asked the student how I could help them through the terrible times, the response was, "Keep helping me see that I can choose who I become." Yep, that's my job.
3 comments:
Terry,
The absolute best thing you can do for this student is show him that caring adults do exist, that success wears many faces, that it is never O.K. to give up on yourself.
He's so lucky to have you in his life.
You are so right! That is a message that we must give our kids. Sometimes it is hard though. Some of my kids are already so beaten down by life that it is tough to build them back up enough to realize they can do anything. I never give up though!
Thanks for the post. Diane is right, he is so lucky to have you in his life!
Great post! I had to share a story that this made me think of so I wrote a whole post about it at http://successfulteaching.blogspot.com/2009/03/we-choose-who-we-become.html
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