Ok so I don't really know if I can explain this clearly..but I am going to try. When I started the job that I currently have, people would (and still do) tell me that not everyone is going to listen. I know that, I am realistic. So my reply is always, "Well it is worth it if I get one kid to change their mind". So I started last March. In April I started teaching Abstinence Education in Willcox. I did the 10th and 11th graders. It was my first time teaching alone, and I had a really bad cold, and a GIANT cold sore on my upper lip. It was kinda funny, I just said it was a visual aid. So I wasn't really sure if I got thru to any of them, but oh well.
So today I went to a Career Fair at Willcox High School. I was kinda excited to see if any students recognized me. And most did. Well during the time that the seniors were in there, a senior boy came over to my table. He said, "Mrs. Sherman I just wanted to say thank you for coming and teaching us last year. And I decided to be abstinent after taking the classes." So I was like, "Oh that's awesome, gob job,...etc." And he said,"Yeah and I treat girls alot different now and I really changed the kind of girl I go out on dates with." So I again said, "Wow that's really cool.....etc." So I had some small talk with him for a few mintues and then I asked him what I had been asking all the other seniors, "What are your plans after you graduate?" He said, "I am going to stay around here for a few months and then I am going on a mission." I was so shocked, I had no idea this kid was LDS, and I don't know if he knew I was. So of course again I was like, "Oh thats great, congratulations...etc.."
When he first told me I was pretty happy for him. But later today as I drove home for Willcox I thought about it more, and it left a pretty big impression on me. I always told people that if I could change one kid, it would be worth it. But this boy, it just amazes me to think about. Not because he looks like a bad kid, but because of all the good he can do because of his choice. The long term affects it could have, not only on him but for others.
I dont' know if anyone else can appreciate this as much as I do....but I had to write about it.
That's so great!! That kind of thing makes the job worth putting up with the disrespectful kids.
ReplyDeleteI love it when something like that happens. It makes all your hard work worth it even if it's just one kid! Way to go Nicole!
ReplyDelete