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May 8, 2007
The art of teachingIn honor of Teacher Appreciation Day, BoardBuzz shares this story from a teacher we know.
Vince was a seventh grader in Ms. Grady's English class. He was pleasant, polite, and he could barely read. When Ms. Grady talked to his other teachers, they suggested she just "move him along" because just getting him to graduate would be enough. Unable to accept that, she worked tirelessly with the school's reading specialist to make sure that Vince progressed that year.
He improved by leaps and bounds that year, and was almost on grade-level by June. Ms. Grady was sad to lose such a hard-working student, but as teachers do at the end of every year, she wished her students, including Vince, a happy summer. The next year, Vince continued his studies, and continued to improve. Ms. Grady always followed his progress, and even after he left the middle school, she always knew what he was up to.
Vince became a star in high school: captain of the football team, singer in the show choir, and a dedicated student. When he graduated from high school, Ms. Grady was there to see her former student walk across the stage. After the ceremony, as Ms. Grady was making her way through the crowd to leave, she heard a voice she didn't recognize calling her name. It was Vince, now a very tall, very big young man.
"Ms. Grady, I'm so glad you're here. I want you to meet my parents," Vince told her. When Vince introduced her to his parents, it was then that she knew the difference a teacher could make. "Mom, Dad, this is Ms. Grady, from middle school. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be here today. She made sure I could read." Vince's parents remembered Ms. Grady and the extra time she took to work with their child when he was struggling to learn. Vince had not only "moved along," he had become a stellar athlete and student who earned himself a full scholarship for college.
One teacher can make a difference--in fact, they do it every day. Do you have a teacher success story? Are you a teacher making a difference? Is there a teacher who changed your life? Leave a comment and tell BoardBuzz about it!
Posted May 8, 2007 5:15 PM | Teachers
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