Sunday’s Reflection: “I’m Proud”
As I took my Walk, I thought about how I’m proud.
Thursday night, I was discussing a work issue with a friend. I needed a little advice and to get my mind off things. It had been a rough day. I was stressed, confused and experienced some dizziness that day.
During the conversation, my friend’s wife chimed in and said: “You should be proud if that’s the worst of your problems…considering the circumstances of how you grew up.”
Upon hearing the comment, I paused for a moment to absorb its weight…realizing that she was right.
Due to my #NoDaysOff, #NoTimeOff, #AlwaysGrindin mantra, I never take time to truly appreciate where I am and where I came from.
I’m a person who lived in a trailer for most of his childhood, didn’t own a pair of name brand shoes until middle school and grew up in a single-parent household(although I had a great relationship with my dad).
I had the potential to rise above my upbringing, but I didn’t for years. Once I got focused, I did…starting my path to be an educator.
That ride hasn’t been smooth(as my sister would describe). My first year(as a paraprofessional), I was bullied, but I got through it.
When I embarked on my journey to be a classroom teacher, I was told that I didn’t have the decision-making skills to teach. I was offered a job an hour after my first interview.
In that time as a classroom teacher, I’ve experienced some performance-related highs. My classroom went from 30 to 90 percent as a rookie teacher. The next year, those same kids hit 91 percent on the S.T.A.A.R. Reading test. (One question away from 91 percent in Math.)
And while last year was a wacky, my kids grew exponentially…both groups.
Performance is a cool metric for which to be judged, but my biggest joy comes from the young minds I’ve impacted.
I think of the student that I received mid-year, my first year who was put out of his school. Nine weeks later, he was on All-A honor roll. Another student who I received that year was put out of three schools(maybe four). I had him for two years(He was a handful, though.). A third student wrote that she looked forward to learning how to read in 5th grade. It broke my heart. Instead of leaving my first school, I stayed because of what she wrote. It was apropos that she was the last student to pass for the classroom to reach 91 percent.
And one of my enduring legacies is the student who now wants to be a teacher and will call her room: The Phenomenal Room. (She’ll be one of my first hires to The Phenomenal Leadership Academy.)
Those victories keep me going, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say the negativity discourages me at times. People have lied on me, overblown my mistakes, demeaned me, cursed me(literally and figuratively) and some have even attempted to discredit me to support their position or confirm their own existence.
But I can’t dwell on the negativity. I’ve changed lives–child and adult–the past six years.
I’m Proud.
I leave you with two things.
1. Are you proud of where you are in life?
2. If not, why aren’t you?
Jeremiah Short, Educator
The Phenomenal Student 