Becoming Impossible to Fail

I went to the doctor on Sunday (promised my mother I would). He told me to take the next two days off (didn't promise I would).

(giving Kristen the thumbs up across the room last week on her math accomplishments while helping Kelly and Hunter with theirs)

I promised my students how unstoppable they could become by state testing time if they would give me their all. They promised they would, and had. Everyone had tested on grade level or beyond. In a world where the reality in most classes is that less than half the class is reached, and the dream of the top dreamers is to one day reach 70-90%......in our class 100% has been reached for the eighth year in a row........and victory has been achieved before the battle has even begun.

Sun Tzu would be so proud.

"Every battle is won before it is ever fought."
-- Sun-tzu (2,400 b.c.)

With the tests not beginning until Tuesday I could afford to take Monday off. When I showed up two of the smartest people and whom I admire and respect the most (the gifted teacher and the principal) questioned why I was there. There was no last-minute teaching to do.

And in my empty classroom throwing up, sweating and shivering, I began to question myself too. I got paid whether I showed up that day or not. I'm already respected and admired and coming in only makes me look stupid and foolish. I began wondering what in the world I was doing with my life; a grown man working so hard for the education of a bunch of kids. Why didn't I just get a sales job making lots more money and just take care of me?

What if I'm strong enough to risk looking and possibly being the fool to make sure I'm not being one. In a world of so many broken promises leading to broken lives, nice tries and good intentions ending in failed attempts and failed lives, I had a promise to keep even if it meant giving what I didn't have for just one more day.

Kristen HAD become unstoppable academically......but hadn't become unstoppable EMOTIONALLY......Sitting there in my darkened room Monday morning I knew there was one student left who still didn't realize how far she had come. It was too good to be true so she didn't believe it. She was the lowest scoring reading student coming into 5th grade. The reality of her now scoring on grade level was too great a dream to accomplish......for her. What if I could muster enough strength to reach her. This day was for her.

(a HUGE surprise at the end of the day....Jessica from last year's class stopping by to say hello. The top reader in the entire country, we used that success to propel her to top marks on last year's state math test, a very rare feat for a creative mind to learn to think analytically....But not impossible.

It wasn't necessary for her to do so well in math. I could have let it go at reading and be OK with her scoring on grade level in math........But what if she could also score above grade level in math?....What if she could be shown she was capable of greatness in more than just one area?

What if she experienced so much success in one year that it was IMPOSSIBLE for her to ever give up on herself in future years when new difficult things came into her life? And if she did give the world her best, what would happen to the world? What would happen if you and I did?....Really did? What could really happen?

She is now taking advanced classes and acting in middle school.......even though it meant upsetting her by taking her reading books from her when she was supposed to be working on math, the same thing I've done with her sister Katie in this year's class, as well as require Katie to learn math (something she doesn't like to do) by understanding it enough to be able to teach Kristen (something she DOES like to do).

Jessica is HAPPY and ALIVE....ultimate success defined for a child or adult. Katie is becoming this more and more and more every day. Why can't Kristen? Why does she have to settle for less? She may be less able to do what those two can at the moment, but she IS NOT less as a person, and does not have to settle for less....if she, and those around her, are willing to work hard and smart enough....

We are all born the same. We do not all stay the same.

Kristen doubling her science and math abilities were great enough. But I had something to show her that was even greater. I needed to show her the results from her latest reading test. Look at her eyes in each one (sorry about the sideways pictures - don't know why they downloaded like that).

Kristen,

You got 4 out of 7 on the hardest story on the test. Getting 4 right on all 6 stories would give you 24 correct answers, which is scored as Level 3.2 (22-31).

This translates to a Level 3, ON GRADE LEVEL!

YOU HAVE DONE IT!

And I am PROUD OF YOU!

- Mr. Stuart 3/10/08

It took everything I had and everyone I could think of that had something to offer her.

From Serenity's phone calls to Katie's and Kelly's sometimes frustrating yet continuously patient efforts, they all helped.



This is proof to me that the teacher is not the star of the show.

Without a doubt, it is the student.

The teacher must do everything they can to support the student for what they are, the star of their own lives.

Kristen has fallen so far behind because she is so hard to teach. She has real learning disabilities that require the teacher to commit to not being the star, but a supporting cast member dedicated to overcoming their own teaching disabilities in order to make the star shine.

And while I have turned to the next student and distracted by an itch on my arm, Kristen is still in that moment of her success....Still realizing what she has done....What she has become.....a very important moment.

Kristen is right now asking herself a zillion questions of how can this be true....but it is......she is hearing "Yes! Yes it is true!" answered back IN HER OWN MIND........and she can no longer deny her ability and what she has become.......

And the dreams for her have really just only begun....

Before I left her side I leaned over and whispered, "What if you gave the world your best.....And your best WAS good enough?.....It's now IMPOSSIBLE for you to fail!"