“I’m tired of getting 100%,” he said with sincerity. “I keep getting
them.”
I looked at him and smiled. “It’s because you are so smart you just can’t help it.”
“I know. All of my teachers say the same thing.”
“Well then, you have a lot of smart teachers.”
He smiled playfully and looked at me in a way I have rarely seen… without pretense of doubt or concern. There were no walls between us. It was pure acceptance. My heart melted as I turned to look at the girl sitting next to him.
“Your turn,” I said as she picked up her cards.
She began reading each word and offered a sentence for each just like David* had done. When she finished, I smiled. “You get 100% too, Delilah!” Delilah’s smile quickly spread across her face, very pleased.
“Now, let’s take out your packets and you can take turns reading to me. Since David has already ready the cover, why don’t you start on the first page Delilah.” David protested mildly about having actually “read” the cover, but quickly accepted that he would get his turn soon.
We finished quickly and still had to wait for the rest of the class, so I decided to ask them questions about what we had just read. David stopped suddenly and looked at me. “You are a really nice lady,” he said with his face squished in reasoning. “I like you.”
I was in Middle School. At the same school in “Rewarding Silence” where I still have yet to share the details of 6th period… only today my experience was profoundly different.
I was substituting in Special Education.
“I like you too, David.” My heart constricted and only later, when no one was watching did I allow the tear to trickle down my face.
It was time to leave and David came over to give me a hug, standing almost as tall. “Thank you,” I said, “for having me today in your class and being so wonderful.”
“I like you,” he said.
“I like you too, David.”
Out in the hall I was told I was to walk the bus riders to the bus. “But I don’t know where the bus riders go?” I said aloud, but with the teachers trying to get everyone in their places, only Delilah heard me and she smiled.
I need not have worried because there would be four teachers walking that way together, but as I walked, Delilah slipped her arm in mine. “You can be the student now and I will be the teacher because I know the way.”
“You do Delilah? I’ll be happy to be your student!”
And in more ways than one… I was.
Victoria Crystal…. living SimpleSexy
www.victoriacrystal.com
* all names have been changed
I looked at him and smiled. “It’s because you are so smart you just can’t help it.”
“I know. All of my teachers say the same thing.”
“Well then, you have a lot of smart teachers.”
He smiled playfully and looked at me in a way I have rarely seen… without pretense of doubt or concern. There were no walls between us. It was pure acceptance. My heart melted as I turned to look at the girl sitting next to him.
“Your turn,” I said as she picked up her cards.
She began reading each word and offered a sentence for each just like David* had done. When she finished, I smiled. “You get 100% too, Delilah!” Delilah’s smile quickly spread across her face, very pleased.
“Now, let’s take out your packets and you can take turns reading to me. Since David has already ready the cover, why don’t you start on the first page Delilah.” David protested mildly about having actually “read” the cover, but quickly accepted that he would get his turn soon.
We finished quickly and still had to wait for the rest of the class, so I decided to ask them questions about what we had just read. David stopped suddenly and looked at me. “You are a really nice lady,” he said with his face squished in reasoning. “I like you.”
I was in Middle School. At the same school in “Rewarding Silence” where I still have yet to share the details of 6th period… only today my experience was profoundly different.
I was substituting in Special Education.
“I like you too, David.” My heart constricted and only later, when no one was watching did I allow the tear to trickle down my face.
It was time to leave and David came over to give me a hug, standing almost as tall. “Thank you,” I said, “for having me today in your class and being so wonderful.”
“I like you,” he said.
“I like you too, David.”
Out in the hall I was told I was to walk the bus riders to the bus. “But I don’t know where the bus riders go?” I said aloud, but with the teachers trying to get everyone in their places, only Delilah heard me and she smiled.
I need not have worried because there would be four teachers walking that way together, but as I walked, Delilah slipped her arm in mine. “You can be the student now and I will be the teacher because I know the way.”
“You do Delilah? I’ll be happy to be your student!”
And in more ways than one… I was.
Victoria Crystal…. living SimpleSexy
www.victoriacrystal.com
* all names have been changed
No comments:
Post a Comment