Believe

All of a sudden Martin started doing homework and classwork.  He answered questioned.  The young man who had been doing nothing suddenly became a star player.

He saw me smile at him as I walked by and I asked him what turned him around.  He told me it was me.  Knowing I believed in him made him want to succeed.

I don't know if Martin will be able to pass the final and the class.  He doesn't either.  But, now he knows he can.  It is heart warming to know I had a part in his change of heart.  I don't care what the stats show and thankfully the college does not care either.  Martin let me know I am an effective teacher and the school knows because of comments from students like him.

There are a lot of teachers like me out there.  A former colleague at Packemin is one.  She believes in her students and pushes and prods them to do their best.  She has turned many around.  Her AP doesn't think she is effective.  He doesn't like her lessons and the questions she asks.  He blames her for the behavior of the students that no one else in the school can control either.  He doesn't see all who grow under her tutelage.  He doesn't care.  He wants her gone.  He will do all in his power to get the teacher who believes in her students to leave.  I cry when I think of all who will never benefit from her caring teaching and who will never know the teacher who gets them to learn by believing in them.