I think any teacher would tell you that every year there is that one underdog student that you want to see do well. That’s not to say that I don’t want all of my students to do well, which I obviously do. But there is always that one student that you have an inclination about, that school is the only way they are going to be able to get themselves out of the rut that they or their family may be in. You watch them progress all year, and know they have the potential to do well as long as they stick to their guns and don’t give up. A few years ago I had a student named Crystal that happened to be that student.
Crystal was the epitomy of the akward girl when she entered fifth grade. She was taller than everyone including me. Crystal was also fairly heavy set, so you could imagine that her esteem wasn’t very good. As if that wasn’t hard enough for her, she lived in a little apartment off of Ninth Street with her mom, sister, and (if I remember correctly) her stepdad. She was instantly put on the radar by the people that weren’t so kind as a glutton for punishment. It kills me how pensive and quiet she was from the get go. I can specifically remember one time when she made two copies of her homework: one for herself, and one for someone else to put his name on. He was the closest thing to a bully that I’ve ever had, and I guess he put the squeeze on her to do the homework for him. Most times I feel that losing it on a student is counter productive. I normally go home feeling like shit in doing so, but not this time. Who did he think he was?
The year progressed, and the walls that she built around herself began to crumble. More so I watched her start to smile and and enjoy life. I used to love joking around with her. She was one of the few people that understood sarcasm. Thick skinned, she took my sarcasm and threw it back in my face but never in a malicious way. We always joked in a light-hearted way. What’s funny is that as she started feeling more comfortable with her surroundings, her work improved and because of that, we were able to get her a scholarship where all the student has to do is get a C average from the time they’re in fifth grade until they are done with school, and their college will be 100% paid off.
It was nice watching her grow into her own skin, and become ajusted. Who am I kidding, no one ever becomes fully ajusted to their surroundings. Hell, I’ve still not acclamated myself to much of what I deal with on a daily basis. But watching her come from one place to end up in another was amazing.
I often wonder how she’s doing, especially when I walk around the room, and pass the chair she used to sit in. She should be in seventh grade by now. Knowing how she is, I worry that she’s slipped into her old patterns of shy if not pensive behavior. Was she only comfortable because she had two caring teachers that wanted to watch her succeed? Are her teachers now treating her the same, or are they too pressed for time to notice someone like Crystal? Lord knows that the world can be a cruel and hard place. The world often does not care for people that are shy, not assertive, or have a low self esteem.
At most I hope she took something away from my class other than just learning how to comprehend what she reads. I hope she is empowered and utilizes all of her talents and abilities. I know, as long as Crystal sticks with it, she will go far.
Here’s to you Crystal.
