Recently I have had two graduate students approach me about a "problem" they were having. One of them has been assigned to a rural Missouri school and the other has just accepted her dream job as a bilingual therapist in Southern California. On separate occasions but only weeks (and several states) apart, they expressed to me their utter disbelief that the world can be such a terrible place. They had each recently encountered poverty and the reality (and slap in their young, hopeful, idealistic faces) that goes along with it. In one way or another they each said to me "Ms. Passe, how can I expect this kid to want to produce the /r/ sound correctly when he/she arrived to school this morning starving and with no coat? Really? Doesn't anybody care? I don't think I can work there for one more minute. Its all just so SAD! I had no idea this was happening SO CLOSE BY and I can't deal with it. I am just so depressed!"
Wow. Its a tough thing to learn......poverty and all. I commiserated about the many injustices of the world and how life could be so unfair to so many good people. And then I said........BUT, what if?
What if God has placed you in this place at this time to learn something about yourself? What will you do with what you have learned?
What if YOU were the only person in this child's life that kept crackers in your desk drawer for the hungry child who sits at your speech therapy table every day?
What if YOU were the person that shopped at yard sales all summer and looked for shoes and coats to keep in your class room closet?
What if YOU were the person to help give this child a voice (wrapped up tightly in the gift of speech and language) so that when he/she grows up they can articulate their way to a better life?
What will you do with your new gift of this knowledge? (We teachers love to ask questions!)
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Received this in an e-mail today. We are proud of you Megan!
ReplyDeleteMs. Passe! I hope all is well...I just have to tell you that I just read that post you posted to your blog and it really made me think so I thought I would share with you! I am working in an inner city School District in Southern Arkansas... 95% of student population in the district is black. I am one of 3 white teachers out of over 500 that there are! I know I know coming from LaPlata Missouri this was a culture shock for sure..but that is not what is shocking what's shocking is that I see 15 of my students in Jail who are contained there for gang related issues, I keep a stash of granola bars for 7 of my students who come to school so hungry everyday, and I have 9 students who are being sexually abused at home. Yet I quickly realized after the first week of school, that God has given me this job for a reason. Its not only about coming to Speech Therapy for these kids but most of them love coming because they know I care and will do anything for them. It has also made me a better parent because I see this and know I never want my child to go through what these kids do on a daily basis. Things happen for a reason and I am quickly learning that in my young adult life!---Megan Long
Ms. Passe, wonderful post. I could not agree more!-- Hilary
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