Friday, December 15, 2006

Third place is the best place I have been in the longest time!!!

The two most important people to a child most of the time are his mother and father. This is because they provide the child with safety, comfort, and love. I think that when you are important to a child this is one of the greatest gifts in the world. Gaining the respect/love of a child is not easy... I think children feel and understand people on a different level. They 'feel' when this person is bad. (I know this is not always true.. I am just speaking generally.)

When I feel that I am number three on a child's list of important people I feel honored, special, and like I will do anything for this child.
(Some examples of when I felt like I was number 3)!

Thursday at school was not a normal day. It was a bit more hectic and required a bit more of me than usual....

First of all, I arrive and someone has stolen something from one of my students. He is heartbroken and I promise him that I will fix it and make things better. It was nothing very big. Only his lunch and water.
The kid is worried because at that age I think school seems so long....
I cannot find his food or water so I buy him some more food and water. It was not a big deal. I think most people would do that for a hungry child.
But to this kid it was a big deal. He felt like I saved him, like I protect him.
He knows how much I love him... and he makes me feel like I am important to him.
No matter where he is in the school, or whose class he is in now. If he has any kind of problem he will run to me, tell me about it, and cry in my arms if he needs to. I always try my hardest to teach him how to solve his problems... but at the same time protect him and help him solve the problem.
The fact that this child trusts me so much and runs to me when he needs help makes me feel like I am doing something right in my life... like I am not a complete fuck up!

So, I solve the lunch crises and I send my class down for their lunch break. I am about to enjoy my leftover pizza from Fridays and a kid runs into the room crying and screaming.
He is telling me that his older brother died in the break and he is scared!
He wants me to help him. So we run downstairs and he is telling me that his brother was playing soccer and just went to sleep.
So, we run around looking for his brother. We go to the doctors, the cafeteria. soccer field. The kid is nowhere to be found. We go into the high school building. We find his class and he is not there also.
My student is crying and will not feel better until he sees his brother.
I do not know what to do.
My class has a French lesson starting now...
What happened next made me feel so special to my student...
My student told me that he knows he has class now and that I will get in trouble for taking him out. He told me that he will go back to his French class if I promise him that I will find his brother and make him better. So I promise him that I will.....
I never promise anything to a child and do not deliver. So, somehow I have to find his brother and make him better.....
After about 10 minutes of searching the school I found him in one of the other buildings. He was asleep on the doctors bed. He was convulsing in his sleep. He was out of it. I would ask him questions and he would give me the most random answers.
So, another great doctor in Egypt just gives him Panadol and lets him sleep. I am trying to explain to her that he fainted on the field and might have hit his head or something. She tells me he did not faint, he just fell asleep. heheheheheh
Does she really not understand that when someone falls asleep while they are standing guarding the goal.. it is not normal.
So, to fulfill my promise to my student I insist on waking his brother up. I know that if he fainted or hit his head he should not be asleep.
Next, the p.e. teacher somes in and gives his medical advice and is trying to get him back to sleep!
So, I wake the kid up and tell him we are gonna get out of there. I take him outside and sit with him waiting for his mom to pick him up.
Every few minutes I go into my class and tell my student that his brother is ok.

The fact that he was crying and thought his brother was dead.. but trusted me enough to run to me for help and run to me to protect his brother made me feel like I am not that bad of a person!

The parents of my student have called me and thanked me for helping their son. The older brother has thanked me so many times.
These kinds of situations are what make me love being a teacher... They have nothing to do with science, social studies, math, or English.. but they make the job so rewarding.
I love my job, my class, and being number three on their lists.....

2 Comments:

Blogger Kathy said...

Nora!
Is this doctor licensed??? Thank God this boy trusted you to help him, once again, you did an awesome job, Maybe the doctor needs to go back to school.
I love you! and am so proud of my cheryleeto.
x0x0x0x0x0
Mom

12/16/2006 5:17 AM  
Blogger Nora said...

I don't think he trusted me.... He was sleeping. I pretty much forced him to listen. And I think he got scared when the pe teacher came in with medical advice...
But in the end he got outta the stupid doctor's room....
I am glad you are proud... ;o)
Love you mom!

12/16/2006 11:42 AM  

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