Success+Stories

=Success Stories=

You know the kid I'm talking about. The one last year, or five years or ten years ago, the one who brings a smile to your face when you think about him or her. It's the story you bring out when people ask you what gets you up in the morning. Honor those stories and those students by putting them here. We all have at least one, whether you've taught for one year or 30, share the students that touched your heart and, when you're feeling down, read the stories on this page. This is why we teach.

//Note: Please change the name of the student(s) to avoid potential legal issues.//

My story is about a high school freshman named Mark. He was diagnosed ADHD. During conversations, he seemed fidgety. I began the practice of sending him on errands when I noticed he couldn't focus. I let him walk around the room without bothering anyone and, slowly, he began to open up in class. He was intelligent and quick. Instead of becoming the class clown, he started trying to do the work. Toward the end of the year, a family member was succumbing to a slow illness. This drained his energies. After school one day, he confided his sorrow about his family member's death and his nervousness about his school work. He pushed through. His mother showed up to a parent conference and I learned how to help him learn. By the end of the year, his grades had gone from the mid-50s to the mid-80s. No surprise when he won "Most Improved Student in English" that year. I was just proud to nominate him. On the last day of school, he told me "Thanks...for everything." But, it was all him. I've never felt more proud of a student.

Elijah Ramirez, King High School