Today at Youth In Government, one of my students invited two young girls in that should have been going to homework club, but seemed intrigued. I think he was trying to flirt with one of the girls, but I am not 100% sure (who knows with middle school boys). The students were asked to go back to hw club and then returned shortly after after they decided that YIG seemed interesting & received permission to return. I took the initiative to sit down with them & share what some our students bills from last year to give them ideas of what bill to write. When I opened up what concerned them, I never expected to get the answers that I got. One of the girls expressed so happily that today was the day that her adoption finally went through with her new family. I could see the relief in her eyes, and I yet to now how large that relief really was until she came up with her bill idea.
"I would like to write a bill on finding foster kids that run away and providing them with someone who cares, maybe even a search team." I was intrigued and as we talked more she went into how "when I ran away, no one came looking for me. I went to a place where, if you knew me, you would know I was there. But the ones that should have been looking didn't really know me, and the ones that kind of did know me, didn't look. So I want to set up a program that searches out kids when they run away." I got so excited on how great of bill idea that we just started rolling. We thought of the fact that maybe we could have a team in each district that is like a search team that goes looking for those kids. She said "yeah! They need to be found!" Maybe even a mentor to be with them kind of like big brothers, big sisters that would know about where they would run to & cares enough to go looking....? "YES!" was her response. Once the ball got rolling, it ended up being time to go (isn't that always the case). I said good bye and that I hoped that she would come back next week.
Once I went to the grocery store to get cake mix for another teachers birthday and finally returned home it was late. I finally had some time to think about what the young girl said. She had stated that she went somewhere where if you knew her you could find her.... she hadn't run away not to be fund, she had run away to be found! She wanted someone to care. I do not have this student in my class, nor will I get the chance to before she moves on, but I hope that I made a difference by taking the time to sit down with her today and to show her that she has great ideas & SOMEONE cares. I truly hope that she comes back next week & that I can continue to show her that I care. Opportunities & moments like this make teaching worth while. I feel like lately I have been so caught up with data, being at the same standard as other team members, D.O.K. questioning, & common assessments that these moments of sitting down one on one and getting to know your kids, are so few and far apart. I am very thankful to have had this moment today & hope that I get another opportunity to have a life changing moment. i don't think this girl knows it but hope this girl the best.
"I would like to write a bill on finding foster kids that run away and providing them with someone who cares, maybe even a search team." I was intrigued and as we talked more she went into how "when I ran away, no one came looking for me. I went to a place where, if you knew me, you would know I was there. But the ones that should have been looking didn't really know me, and the ones that kind of did know me, didn't look. So I want to set up a program that searches out kids when they run away." I got so excited on how great of bill idea that we just started rolling. We thought of the fact that maybe we could have a team in each district that is like a search team that goes looking for those kids. She said "yeah! They need to be found!" Maybe even a mentor to be with them kind of like big brothers, big sisters that would know about where they would run to & cares enough to go looking....? "YES!" was her response. Once the ball got rolling, it ended up being time to go (isn't that always the case). I said good bye and that I hoped that she would come back next week.
Once I went to the grocery store to get cake mix for another teachers birthday and finally returned home it was late. I finally had some time to think about what the young girl said. She had stated that she went somewhere where if you knew her you could find her.... she hadn't run away not to be fund, she had run away to be found! She wanted someone to care. I do not have this student in my class, nor will I get the chance to before she moves on, but I hope that I made a difference by taking the time to sit down with her today and to show her that she has great ideas & SOMEONE cares. I truly hope that she comes back next week & that I can continue to show her that I care. Opportunities & moments like this make teaching worth while. I feel like lately I have been so caught up with data, being at the same standard as other team members, D.O.K. questioning, & common assessments that these moments of sitting down one on one and getting to know your kids, are so few and far apart. I am very thankful to have had this moment today & hope that I get another opportunity to have a life changing moment. i don't think this girl knows it but hope this girl the best.
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