A child was traveling on a path from Kindergarten to Grade 12. The way was often lonely and unfamiliar. Along the way, the student was beaten up emotionally by the demands of the curriculum, the pressure to succeed and her own deficiencies in learning. She felt that her abilities did not match demands. She felt defeated.
The student lay on the path, unsure of herself, afraid to fail and with nowhere to turn. Who could understand how she felt? She felt that she wanted to give up. The wounds from her school experiences were deep. She did not want to read, it gave her no joy. Numbers and instructions made her nervous. There was no joy to her learning. She felt that her skills were not recognized. And so, there she lay afraid, hurting and in need of help.
Along came a teacher who saw the student stranded on the path and thought; “I’ve taught many students like this one. She’s just not motivated. If she doesn’t do the work—then she doesn’t get the marks. It is her problem. She’ll learn that she has got to put forth more effort. I’ve got other students to attend who are more deserving of my attention.
Along came another teacher. This teacher was dedicated, hard working and thorough. She tried to help the student on the path. She lead her through many activities and worksheets, projects and assignments. She was sure to give her indications of where she was performing compared to others. She gave her marks for everything she completed. Unfortunately, she continued to do poorly. She hugged her and left her lying on the path. “I did everything I could and she still couldn’t learn. There must be someone else who could help her---I have tried.”
When the student was at her lowest and no longer able to go on, another teacher appeared. This teacher stopped to get to know the student. She observed her as she learned. She took notes about the times when she learned the most. When she saw that she wasn’t successful, she changed the way she taught her. She tried all different strategies. She planned with her learning style in mind. She saw her as a person, not just a number. She talked to other teachers, she read about all different kinds of learners. She brought her to a place where she could succeed.
She began to feel good about herself. She began to answer questions, seek out opportunities for learning, explore her creative ideas and evaluate herself. She knew that her teacher saw her as someone who could learn and succeed. She began to believe what she was told.
The teacher and the student both moved on. She often inquired about her journey. She was sure to share her wisdom about the student’s success with her new teachers. On this path, the teacher and student had created a covenant, a covenant to learn.
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I bless all teachers for creating a covenant to learn...HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY!!!
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