Human Teachers

I had a student
come up to me in tears today.  He told me that his father has an addiction and he no longer loves his father.  He followed that up with, "In fact, I no longer have a father as far as I am concerned."

This student has not lived with his father for many years from what I hear.  I guess today was just the day that he felt he needed to proclaim...to someone...that he is done. He has had enough.

I have always been fond of this student.  He is a little socially awkward.  He is fun though.  But today- today, he became a bit more special. My heart opened up and felt every word that he said.  He wasn't complaining.  He was making a statement. A Proclamation of fact.

It is so hard to help but want to rescue a student from life when he or she expresses such raw emotion. It is such a human response.  One of the biggest problems with being a teacher is that we are human.  We feel and we take home these weights on the lives of others.

I am so proud of this student.

My next step is to watch him. Make sure he is okay. Watch for signs of WHY he said what he did.

Teachers are so much more than the transfer vehicles of knowledge that the media often makes us out to be...


Be Mindful.

Peace.

Mark Levine


#Mindfulliteracy
@LevineWrites