Wanted to share this note that my son with LD’s wrote to his teachers. This is a child who use to be considered a “bad kid” up until two years ago. Here it is:
I entered your room quietly took a seat shoulders rolled and head slumped. I thought to myself here we go again another year of not understanding another year of not being understood. I would withdrawal into my own dream world where things were kind, comfortable, friendly and familiar. Then something amazing happened there was a light touch on my shoulder, no yelling, no bad comments, just a light touch then someone asking do you need help understanding? I was dazed, bewildered, did this person really care? You were sure to look at me and sure you had my attention then in a way I could understand explain what was going on. A light went off in my head all of a sudden it made sense, could it be I am not stupid after all. For two years you were there for me, to help explain things, to help organize me, to help rally me, and support me. As I leave your room for the last time I want you to remember me for who I have become. Remember the child who entered your room, the man who left, and how I got there. Teaching may not be a career of glory but it does have its heroes. I have been fortunate here to meet not only one but many. I would of liked to write a personalized note to you all but it is difficult so hope you all don’t mind getting the same thoughts. On those days when you think to yourself “what am I doing here anyway?” I want you to remember you do make a difference. What would happen if there were not teachers who took the time to understand us kids with learning differences. We would not only enter rooms with our shoulders slumped and our heads down we would go through life that way. We may even wind up in prison or dead. You should be proud of yourselves for choosing such a noble career and remember there are students who thank you. This is what this whole note is about a thank you, a thank you for being there and may you continue to positively influence young lives.
Hope this gives some of you hope that your child will run into a teacher like this.
Re: "Bad" child or not
I am all choked up. How wonderful, and yes that does give me hope that one day my son’s will meet such a teacher. I help put together a newsletter for a support group for parents and professionals of kids with adhd and ld. I was wondering if we could have your son’s permission to reprint it in our year-end issue (annonymous of course). I don’t think anyone can say it better than a child and this newsletter is sent to every school in our area. We would love to print it but understand if you have any objection. Thanks for sharing and good luck in the future!
Re: "Bad" child or not
The exception that proves the rule. When He’s in the “real” world who will be there for him then? Not that rare teacher or a loving mentor. He will be walking through the snake pit of Voc rehab blind folded. The angels have turned away thinking their job is done. The gentle river of love and mercy is now an unnavigatable torent. No life line, no end in sight, and unprepared for what’s ahead. How cruel that angel was for being so nice. Maybe cruel reality is kindness in disguise. Truth fleeting. Love so conditional. Justice denied. Mercy declined.
Show me a prison. Show me a jail.
Show me prisoner who’s face is growing pale.
and I’ll show you a young man with so many reasons why.
And there but for fortune go you and I.
12 years of school is only part of a life time. The real suffering begins when that’s over.
Re: "Bad" child or not
What a beautiful story your son has written. Shows there can be goodness in every situation in life! Too bad others need to waste their lives being bitter, instead of helping others as these teachers your son speaks of. You should be a VERY proud mom!!
Re: please consider this
Although I sometimes cringe at ball’s comments I have to admit that it is the true reality of what happens when people are misunderstood. As raw as his feelings are sometimes, they are real, and he has lived the life our kids live. He has unfortunately been dealt a bad hand of cards throughout his life. I can understand the anger and frustration as I see me son go through school misunderstood and I worry that he feels the same way ball does inside. We have to listen to those who have been through the ringer in order to learn for the future. We can’t paint a rosey picture everytime because the reality is that no matter how hard we try for our kids, we are not them and cannot intervene with every situation they encounter. People will be cruel to our kids and the odds are against them. Lets just hope we get through to them and can give them the strength and support they need.
Re: please consider this
I agree with everything you are saying! As a mother of 2 LD kids, I also have felt these feelings, as have my children many days of their lives. But there was a mom sharing her “proud” feelings, only to be blasted with negativity. Just seemed to be taking away her shining moment.
A poem of response!
The exception that is the rule. When He’s in the “real” world who will be there for him then? The rare teacher and loving mentor who guided him and showed him the way will be there. They will be there in his mind, showing him that he can accomplish anything he sets his mind too! When he walks through the snake pit of Voc rehab, he will be bold, careful, and confident. Taking his time to walk cautiously through the maze but the angels have begun to create an angel in this “new” child. They have planted the seed of a spirit so great that it can bring about change in others. The gentle river of love and mercy may turn into an unnavigatable torrent but a he has been given oars to paddle with and a compass to navigate the way. How kindhearted that angel was for being so respectable and thinking ahead. Maybe a teacher is an angel of kindness in disguise.
Love so un-conditional.
Left with Justice.
Showered with Mercy.
Show me a high school graduate. Show me a high school diploma.
Show me child whose face is growing with vivid light.
And I’ll show you a young man with so many reasons to spread his wings and fly.
And there but for grace and kindness of angels go you and I.
12 years of school is only part of a lifetime. Thank a higher power that there are those people who will touch are children and help create thoughtful and thoughtful, ready to lend a hand, hard working adults.
I thought that we, the parents of LD children, came to this board to comfort, educated, motivated, and share the stories of our children.
Every parent has times when they need to vent next time try to create your own post for that! When a parent is sharing their private life and emotional heartache, it is not our place to try and ruin that because of our own misery!
Re: "Bad" child or not
Hey Ball,
Having run the gauntlet, and battled the windmills, I think I know and at least partially understand your opinion. Life throws us all some real hardballs, curve balls and the unexpected bean balls that knock us on our butts. It’s so hard to take the hit when it comes to us through our children, I know. Proud Mom is glowing from a brief spark of hope and clarity from her son, and for that most of us are happy for her. We know the despair of what you write and the potential for destruction, from which we all fight so hard to eliminate or beat back to a controlled burn, if that is even possible. I bet you’ve been burned severely, and for that I’m sorry you had to go thru it. I wish I had words to provide comfort or consolation, but there are none, other than that you aren’t alone. When we did our battle, there was no www, there was no parents bb, and we had no where to turn. The scars are still there, the wounds were deep, the puss can still ooze on occasion, but the brutal teacher of experience has left undeniable lessons for us (me and my wife) to learn from and teach. My wife still can’t discuss the subject much, the pain and raw nerves are still right there below the surface, a subject best left alone… Me, I exorcise my my demons here, hopefully helping some who are going thru what we went thru. As for Proud Mom, relax, and bask in the moment! Congrats, both to you and his teacher, must be a special person to bring this out of him.
Andy
Re: "Bad" child or not
Reality is a bitter pill to swallow. I ran out of BS along time ago.This is reality. No carreer just a crappy job. Don’t go to the class reunion cause you have nothing good to report and you probably can’t get the nite off from your dishwasher job. The nice compassionate teacher is the exception but reality remains reality. Hard work still gets rewarded with failure. So why don’t I tell myself some warm fuzzy stories? I don’t because it’s BS and my BS detector has had a lot of practice. That “kind” angel is gonna fly away with her warm fuzzies and your child is gonna be up the proverbial creek with out a paddle when adulthood is reached. Not a lot of warm fuzzies out there in the job market. So let the angels poison our damnation with rainbow while Mary Sunshine sprays this dung heap with perfume and convinces everyone wearing rose colored glasses that the magets are fuzzy wuzzy wooly worms.
We live in a world where people’s heads are so far up their butts that preists have been for decades raping children with impunity. Ugly ain’t it? True ain’t? We bomb people in foriegn lands and then tell our kid to turn the other cheek. HIPPICRITS!! Reality is in this increasingly High tech world LD folk are an endangered species. It’s a cold cruel world run by cold cruel people. Schools are derelict in there duty because we allow it. Some one does a small act of human kindness and we think it’s a friggin miracle.
Seems the milk of human kindness is only reserved for the Oprah Show. I prefer Springer for it’s ugly truth about human nature. Onward an upward go these Machavellian monkeys called humans in their SUV to soccer practice. Competing for pride at the expense of the downtrodden and less fortunate and the neurologically impaired. This Ugly world doesn’t deverve to hear music of Beethoven or the beauty of a vanGogh painting as to this world it has no real value as this world has no value. These monkeys don’t deserve a glimpse. Their glance would only contaminate. There is only one value that counts in this world so march your chartered souls to Sothebes and sell Van Gogh while listening to the Moonlight Sonata in your Lexus and not having a clue.
If you could live inside your child’s brain and see inside his soul your heart would ache like his.
Your child doesn’t want or need your pride he only wants to please.
Re: "Bad" child or not
I can understand all the emotion that this post has bought out. I have siblings who have been through the things you describe. Still to this day they are met with less then kind people. My son on the other hand has run into not 1 or 2 but 5 good teachers over the last 2 years. These teachers have helped him to understand how he learns, they have remediated where they could, and have taught compensary skills where necessarry. At 13 he can balance a checkbook, set a budget, organize himself, advocate for himself, and his self esteem has never been stronger. He realizes that in the real world there will be those who will ridicule him, try to take advantage of him, ect. He also knows that these individuals have their own faults and are no better then he. He has chose a vocation in life that fits his strengths and has the will power to persue it. I am not saying it is going to be easy for him but he will have an easier time then others now that he has been given tools to help him deal with the things that come. I wish you all peace and hope joy will come to your life.
Re: "Bad" child or not
A teen who can organize themselves? Is there such a thing? I have been trying for years to help organize my teen-he just gets lost. He too has had some good teachers of late but not who have been able to help organize him. I am starting to think this is just something he will never be able to do. Congratualtions to you and your son.
Re: "Bad" child or not
Ok, so I have no clue what is going on here!! You obviously have some real issues and I am sorry that I posted a response.
I guess giving people the benefit of the doubt does not work for you and that is your right!
I post here looking for help with my LD children, not too be critized and hounded by people who are having or have had a terrible time of thing.
I am very sorry that your dealing with schools and faculty and such have been less than pleasant they haven’t been that way for everyone!!
Good luck to you and to whatever children you are trying to help!
K.
Re: A poem of response!
I stand corrected, however some children have less supportive parents who are not equipped to give their children the tools to survive the cruelty this world will inflict on them. That is not the exception that is the rule.The fact is a large percentage of teachers don’t do right by their students disabled or otherwise. The LD folks will continue to get kicked in the teeth all their lives unless they have a guardian angel and as we all know they are in short supply. Sorry to rain on your parade but facts are facts and as long as the agencies that are supposed to help fail to LD folks will continue to get the shotty end of the stick.
Re: A poem of response!
K.
Your words are so true don’t all of us remember the “special” people who made a positive impact on our lives.
I was a foster mother for 8 yrs. and I have past foster kids that keep in touch and visit because they remember from their younger years us being there.
I bet this letter gets kept in a special place for years to come. You have reason to be proud and so does he.