Best Day in Education!

Everyone's best day in education is different.  Mine, in my opinion, is a story of success.  My very first year teaching 6th grade at Mayfield Middle School was not an easy one.  I had come from teaching high school for the last six years and was accustomed to a different type of student.  High school students, although they have their flaws, are usually not as needy as an eleven year old.  So, when I was faced with approximately 100 needy eleven year olds, I found my days to be exhausting. Instead of fielding inappropriate questions, having semi adult conversations, and constantly reminding students to "watch your language", I was supporting the emotional needs of younger students, and being pulled in 25 different ways to answer repetitive questions and help with the day to day transition of becoming a middle schooler.
One student in particular had a very hard transition to Mayfield and middle school in general.  His name was DJ and he was transferring to Mayfield from another Cleveland suburb where the population of students was a bit different than the one he was entering.  His school was predominately black whereas Mayfield is a bit more diverse with a mix of White, Indian, Hispanic, Black, and Asian students. DJ had come from a broken home where his Dad, when he saw DJ,  was continually finding fault in him, and a mother that was not very supportive of the staff at Mayfield and had no problem vocalizing her displeasure.  DJ was involved in numerous fights that year and had a perpetual chip on his shoulder.  I was his homeroom teacher and his Language Arts teacher and we spent a good amount of time with one another.  I tried my best to be understanding and supportive of DJ, he was a bright kid and I saw potential in him, but his hallway behavior and behavior during unstructured time was less than desirable.  He was on a behavior plan and had numerous supports from various staff members but was still struggling.
His seventh and eighth grade years were still a struggle, he was still fighting with students and staff and DJ spent a good bit of time in in school and out of school suspension, so when he graduated from 8th grade and was headed to high school we all said our prayers.  We all anticipated more trouble in high school as DJ was known to say the wrong things to the wrong kid and would find himself in the office or worse. When DJ came back to visit as a Freshman I couldn't help but beam at him when he walked in my classroom.  It was good to see him, he was about a foot taller, and his demeanor had changed.  He seemed calmer, more confident, and seemed to have a better check on his emotions that once got him in so much trouble.  But the best day in my educational career is when he visited as a Sophomore and told me he was on the Football team and was really enjoying high school.  DJ could never qualify for sports because of his conduct towards his teammates, he was always getting in fights with them.  But now he was on the team and seemed to be thriving.  I still tear up thinking about it.  This was a kid that I was afraid would be on the news one day, and not it a good way. There was so much anger and resentment inside his little eleven year old body that I feared for him and prayed for him constantly.  And now, here he is a young man who is thriving in the high school and seems to have done a 180.  I am so proud of him and can't wait to see what else he will do! Along with seeing DJ and knowing that he will  be ok, I've also learned a new lesson after 14 years of teaching, don't give up on the difficult students.  It might take a few years, but keeping with it, putting the support in place and not giving up on them pays off.  Maybe not every student, every time, but I'll take one success story over not trying at all.

Teachers should not give up on difficult students