Just when you think you've had enough a student tells you a story that makes you want to cry. It was almost the end of the day. I just finished teaching math (which you know how much I just love MATH!!! not too mention this class). We've been learning about Geometry and I was trying to teach these brillant little people how to use a compass and they just weren't getting it. So I'll admit I was frustrated - very. Well they left and my own class came in. Acting like usual and not following directions.
To put it mildly - I had enough. And my one student who I usually knows is just crying out for attention even though he seeks it in an annoying manner just set me off and I kicked him out. Well I finally went in and spoke with him - which at that point I shouldn't of because I was still upset. So we resolved nothing - he stayed there and I left him. I finally tried again later and we still were bumping heads. I was too worked up over my own frustration to even stop and ask myself why when all of the sudden he bursts into tears and tells me his dad left this morning. Mind you this is the same child who two weeks ago was crying because they couldn't get ahold of his father who lived in California. Well dad showed up and hung out for a couple weeks (promised to stay for five) and for whatever reason decided he had to leave this morning and just left his son a note saying he had to go. I nearly cried with my student. Because of his situation, because of how frustrated I was and because I know how bad he hurts over this how thing.
People suck - especially grown ups.
So to say the least my student brought me back down to reality and made me forget why I was even upset. We spoke and he had a good cry. I suppose at the end of the day if you can get just one student to open up you've done a good job - even if the road there was rocky. When the class left the boy stopped by me and told me to have a good day and that tomorrow he'll try harder to be good.
Me too.
