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You cannot teach patience - this is what parents should do at home
Most of us who inherit such a legacy are unaware of the richness of our upbringing. Some people even seem to think their sharp mind is the fruit of nothing more than their own hard work and natural brilliance. Even worse, some teachers seem to believe this, regarding their struggling students as simply lazy or stupid. That’s a crime whose victims are robbed of the opportunity to realize their intellectual potential. It shouldn’t be so. Everyone in the teaching profession can point to parents, caregivers or teachers who nurtured their thinking along the way. One would hope that memory would produce a humble gratitude, and that gratitude would lead to patience with students who haven’t been so fortunate.
Unfortunately many parents and teachers don’t understand this concept, so struggling students arrive at school distrusting teachers and, even worse, distrusting themselves. I can’t tell you how many students express shock at the level with which I engage with their thinking in their essays, often telling me no teacher has ever responded to them in that manner. I hate that they have come so far in life without anyone managing to rev their cognitive engine, but I count it a challenge and privilege to find the key that will get their mental motor started and keep it running strong.
I only hope he finds other teachers who will continue to see past his shortcomings to his immense potential, helping him develop patience in the presence of his own thoughts. He deserves as much, as does every student under our care.
