Friday, March 15, 2013

Making a difference

In the fall I had a student (Tony) who had serious issues with anger. He often butted heads with anyone in a position of authority, which lead to many suspensions, and even lead to expulsions from many other schools.

Tony responded well to me, because he could see that I cared for him and I wasn't just here to tell him what to do. In time, I saw him begin to change. First, he didn't explode as often. Then I saw him start to recognize when he was getting angry; when this happened, he would talk to me about needing to leave, so that he didn't blow up. In time he got better at first recognizing he was getting angry and then dealing with his anger.

After Tony had significantly improved, he transferred out to give another school a try. I didn't see anything of him for months; I just hoped that I had made an impact on his life in a way that would stay with him for the rest of his life.

I saw Tony again this morning, for the first time since he left. Tony was really excited to see me, and I could tell that he changed. He is holding a good job making decent money. I know that I made a difference in his life - which is the most satisfying feeling in the world.

No comments:

Post a Comment