I was driving across town last night when it occurred to me just how true this is and I took the analogy a bit further. Sometimes, you walk along and you find something valuable quite by accident. I remember walking through the library one day and finding the diamond pendant my friend had lost. I wasn't really searching for it, it was just there. Some kids are like that. Their inherent beauty is just there, right on the surface and easy to spot.
Then, I thought of some other kids...the kids who make teaching a little bit like an Indiana Jones movie. It's a perilous journey to find the true and amazing person at the core. There are boulders chasing you down tiny corridors, snakes hissing, and all manner of obstacle. No judgment goes along with the Indiana Jones analogy. I have always believed if I had been brought up exactly like the troubled kids that I deal with, I would act the same way.
But, after twenty-six years I can say without a shadow of a doubt....it's worth it. Finding that amazing person underneath the defensiveness and drama is absolutely worth every effort it takes to get there.
Does this make sense to you?? Are you on that same journey??
Luckily for me, I have Peter H. Reynolds and the Fable Family who cheer me on. I have a strong Twitter support team. I have awesome students who make the journey worthwhile.
By the way, I lead an educator program for FableVision Learning, but I don't benefit from sales. The poster above is available in a t-shirt.
2 comments:
I try to get them to realize that there is treasure inside of each of them too...they have been taught that my job is to give it to them...there is nothing better than to have a kid walk up to you and you realize that for maybe the very first time that they have found it.
Yes. And yes. And yes again. Beautiful post, TJ.
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