Here We Go Again

Sometimes gratitude is synonymous with relief. If you were to watch someone push me off a cliff and I was able to grab a convenient tree root to dangle from instead of plummeting into a rocky river a mile below, and then you reached down and pulled me back to safety, that might begin to adequately describe the kind of relief/gratitude that I have for good teachers. (I know, that is a very simpleton and possibly ridiculous allegory, but just go with it.)

I am not grateful for all teachers. I had a few doosies growing up, and since I've had kids in school, there has been one teacher that I wish I had complained about, but was too afraid she would know it was me. I volunteered in her class for several hours a week and would experience emotions ranging from shock to sympathy for the kids under her care and instruction. Some people in the teaching field would be better suited to work at the DMV.

But then there are teachers like the one Cameron had last year. The teacher who pulled him back to safety from the root he was dangling from on the side of a cliff. Mrs. Smith is the first teacher that Cameron has had that has seen for herself the things that have troubled me about his education since kindergarten, and then done something about it. He now reads at a level that I had given up all hope that he would ever reach. He has improved social capabilities, though we're still working on his confidence. He has learned techniques to help him stay focused, and he continues to work on those. Cameron exhibits a greater sense of responsibility at home after what he acquired in class last year. And Cameron can also pronounce all kinds of "th" sounds now. Darned if that wasn't a long time coming! All of these things took place because Mrs. Smith is a dedicated, resourceful teacher who will do whatever it takes to help her students succeed. She spent time researching, re-focusing, meeting with me, trying different tactics, having him tested to get speech therapy, (finally!! someone who agreed with me!), and she spent a lot of time bolstering Cameron's self-esteem and just plain caring about him. And she did all this for Cameron without labeling him with some kind of learning disability that he certainly does not have.

As we prepare to embark on another school year, I can sense Cameron wandering again, dangerously close to the edge of that same cliff. I want him to stay in the lane of progress, and not just give up and take a leap off the edge. Cameron is not one of the lucky kids to which learning comes easily. He has to work at it, and it's more than work, really. He has to convince himself every day that he can do it, and that it's worth it.

This week, I've spent a lot of time stewing over what might come. I've wondered what kind of teacher Cameron might have this year, and I have high hopes. But right now, I am simply very grateful and relieved to have had Mrs. Smith come to our rescue last year.