‘The moment I live for.’ How a Columbus teacher changed a student’s perspective on school

She grasped her hands together and with a big smile spontaneously said to me, “Oh my goodness, guess what I got to do today!” She told a student he was exempt from her exam.

To anyone else, the story would seem nonchalant, but to me, I reveled in her words because her excitement was contagious.

She asked me not to use her name or her school. She is humble, soft-spoken and reserved, but it’s more about protecting her student. She was more concerned about his privacy than getting the shout-out she deserves.

She’s not normal, you know. Most of us thrive on the accolades. We love hearing our names spoken on the lips of praise. Teachers are no different. It feels good when efforts in the classroom are noticed. On occasion, however, a teacher will forego having her name in the paper for the sake of a student’s privacy and comfort.

It’s a slippery slope, this blessed opportunity to write about kids and teachers. I wish I could loudly and proudly announce the names of teachers and students and schools. Sometimes, though, I just can’t. I learned very quickly within my own classroom, that there is a careful balance between what should and should not be shared.

Many students have two totally separate and different identities. Precariously, they teeter back and forth in fear that the two will one day collide. One is dictated by their neighborhood, and one is mandated by their school, and constantly, children must make decisions: Which is best for me right now at this moment? Which will serve me best or hurt me less?

They are often ostracized for good grades or berated for behaving, so many children enter our schools in an immediate and desperate identity crisis. So, I understand why she didn’t want me to use any names. She’s trying to protect her student.

Her degree is in counseling, and her plan was to help children in an office of soft couches, mood lighting and boxes of Kleenex. But life took an abrupt turn, and she found herself in a foreign land, teaching English. Many twists and turns later, her planned, plush office was again replaced by a Muscogee County classroom.

She quickly recognized the wonderful opportunity. Instead of 1-on-1 influences during scheduled office visits, she would have the golden opportunity to influence 30 kids at a time, every single day – no appointment necessary.

So, she jumped at the chance and assumed her unplanned position as a teacher.

Two days later, though, she was crying and wanting to call it quits.

Teaching is hard. Not everyone can do it, or even want to do it. There are no instructional manuals or how-to help books. Filling voids, eradicating outside influence, meeting needs, and being the parent so many kids don’t have is exhausting work. Somehow, though, great teachers find a way.

And she did. One student at a time. One need at a time.

“Derek” is a senior. Some would say reaching the 12th grade is a miracle, and his record would probably support that judgment. He’s been moved from school to school because he’s a tough behavioral handful, making frequent visits to the alternative school. Sure, on paper, Derek is a mess. But in the heart of this teacher, he’s a gem.

She zeroed in on Derek. She plucked him out of the crowd and set her sights on him. She recognized his identity crisis, spoke to his potential, and drew out his desire to rise above his neighborhood. Chisel in hand, she slowly whittled away at the influences that aimed him towards becoming a statistic and began polishing his rough exterior. Sometimes, she bawled and wanted to give up like others before her had done. But she didn’t. She relentlessly pursued his potential.

For a young man who would so often choose neighborhood influences over those of school, Derek bought into the devotion of his teacher. His potential responded to her voice, and the tides are turning for this young man.

The same boy who has struggled in school for 12 years, just exempted his midterm exams by fulfilling the grade and attendance requirements. And who wanted to break the news to him face-to-face? Our humble teacher.

“This is the moment I live for,” she said to me with tears in her eyes, her face glowing in excitement. “Looking Derek in the eye and giving him the news was the ultimate fulfillment. He looked shocked, though, so I said, ‘Derek, look what YOU did? YOU did that, and I am so proud of you.’ Then his face lit up. I know I am in the right where I need to be.”

I hope you find such joy in where life has planted you.

Sheryl Green is a secondary educator in Columbus. Email her at sherylgreen14@yahoo.com.