by Julie Rochelle, retired teacher
Julie Rochelle
Teachers never know what influence they have on children. I taught the first, second, and third grades over a thirty year tenure. Several times I have stepped in to help children years after I had them in school for one or two years. Last week, I received a call from a mother of a young man I had had in the second grade. He had just turned 19 and was in his senior year. He had become weary and frustrated with school and had simply quit going to class a month ago. His mother wanted me to call her son and have a talk with him to get him to try to return to school and complete his remaining Gateway exam in order to graduate with his class on May 14, 2010.
I discovered that the senior only needed to pass the Gateway test and he would be able to “walk across the stage” with his class. I called the mother back and explained the situation to her. I encouraged her to let the student know that this would be a wonderful asset to his future if he received his high school diploma.
On a Friday at 12:00 p.m., he showed up and the AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) coordinator read him the test per his IEP. Tonight is graduation for the Senior Class. He will be walking with his class! How proud I am that I had a little something to do with helping a child succeed!