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Readers Spot
Those Who Can
by Karen Wilber
“Those who can, do. Those who can't, teech.”
Hurried
letters, scrawled in an angry hand, screamed at Linda Jenkins from
across the classroom. A series of slashes underlined the word "can't".
"At least he could have spelled 'teach' correctly," she sighed.
Linda
walked between the empty desks to the whiteboard and grabbed an eraser.
As she rubbed the offending words away she reflected on why she had
become a teacher in the first place. Her classmates chose to major in
engineering, business, and the sciences. Linda was the only one who
chose education. She couldn't explain why. She felt . . . a calling.
"But Linda, you're a Merit Scholar," her high school guidance counselor
gasped. "You have so much promise. Perhaps you'll change your mind in
college."
Linda didn't change her mind. She continued teaching though the pay was low and respect, nonexistent.
Last
month, Jason, the new boy, arrived with a backpack too small to carry
the tremendous chip on his shoulder. No wonder. His parents opened the
parent teacher conference with "We're well aware that the schools in
this state are inferior to the ones back home. We'll be watching you
closely." Not watching Jason, mind you. Watching Linda. As if her
native accent revealed an inbred ignorance that would taint their
precious prodigy. As if.
Jason's
progress that month was unremarkable. He was bright, but not the
brightest star in the galaxy of Linda's students. He seemed weighed
down by the fact that he wasn't ahead of his classmates. Mistakes on a
math quiz evoked the cry "that's not how we did it at my old school." A
misspelled word in the spelling bee was followed by a stormy exit from
the room.
Linda tried a little levity. "Fifth grade is tough. That's why we pay you the big bucks."
"No," Jason shot back. "You're just a bad teacher. The teachers at my old school were better than you."
"You had some pretty good teachers there."
"They'll let anybody teach here. You probably couldn't get a job doing anything else."
"Jason, you seem to have a good grasp of the science unit we're studying. How would you like to teach the lesson on Friday?"
"What? You'd let me do that?"
"Sure.
LIke you said, we'll let anybody teach here. I'll copy my notes for you
and get you started. But I won't interfere. You'll be the teacher and
I'll sit with the students."
Linda
helped Jason gather all of the materials for a simple science lesson
and lab. It would be a walk in the park, if you knew how to read the
map and keep everybody on the path.
Linda
quieted the class and explained that she would be allowing students to
take turns teaching this year. Jason was the first one selected and
they should all give him their attention. Twenty-eight heads turned
toward the front of the room. Fifty-six eyes focused on one very
confident eleven-year-old. Jason was now in command.
Things
didn't quite work out as he'd planned. While explaining the lesson's
main idea, he stuttered when interrupted by an unexpected question. His
eyes widened in surprise when the class didn't understand his examples.
Linda bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling as the class
erupted in confusion during the lab exercise.
"What do we do next?"
"Mine isn't fizzing."
"What page are we on?"
"He took my pencil!"
Jason
was on the front lines now. His only options were to stand his ground
and face defeat or hoist the white flag of surrender. "No! Listen to
me. You're doing it wrong!" Jason shouted, hands clenched, cheeks
reddening. His eyes sought Linda's. Help me, they pleaded.
Linda
stood. The troops, reminded of the presence of their seasoned general,
settled, and the room stilled. "Class. Make sure you're on page 32. The
liquid won't fizz until we add the final ingredient. Settle down and
give Jason your attention again."
An
older, but wiser Jason returned to school the next week. His steps
seemed lighter as he joined his classmates. Perhaps he had unloaded the
burden of unrealistic expectations and settled in to enjoy his final
days of childhood. Linda unfolded the rumpled note he had thrust into
her hand.
Dear Ms. Jenkins - Thanks for your help. You really do know a lot. I'm glad I'm in your class. Jason.
P.S. I guess I was wrong. Those who can, teach.
(c) 2008
Karen
Wilber, a stay-at-home mom, is a former teacher and librarian. She
currently works for two active preschoolers. No pay, lousy hours, great
benefits.
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS
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Safety
Emergency Tips For Singles
And The Elderly
Are
you single, living alone? Or have a friend, or family member who is
living single? Don't wait until an emergency happens, devise a plan of
action:
* If you have a car, ask for
mechanic referrals before you need one.
* Get more than one
estimate on repair work.
* Identify handy men in the area.
* Keep a list of transportation alternatives.
* Personal security alarms.
* Choose second floor as
opposed to first floor
* Install smoke detectors.
* Plan a route of escape in the event of fire.
* Make an effort to get to
know other singles.
Exchange phone numbers.
* Use a necklace similar to
what soldiers use to hold
dog tags. Add house, car
key, or both.
* Notify a friend or family
member of your emergency
and know where they plan
to take you.
* Singles and the elderly
should consider Medical
Alert Systems as well.
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