. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P A R O L E . C A L L

I wonder if I have become more open to hearing student stories since starting this blog? Today Wilson actually asked if he could come in to speak with me on my lunch break.  I probably would have turned him down, lunch breaks are sacred to teachers, but he recently hand cleaned all the chairs in my school and I feel listening is the least I can do. It must be stressed here that my school though located inside a drug rehab is not part of the therapeutic process. My students come to me to learn math and reading.

So I’m eating my taco salad prepared by the on site kitchen and Wilson tells me he didn’t make it to the solar paneling class he recently enrolled in. Instead he smoked marijuana on the premises in his room. He also told me he recently opened up about some early childhood abuse, spoke about it to staff. I gave him my whole attention. He told me his mom was his role model even if she wasn’t always there for him. Mostly, he seemed humble always saying others have it much worse. I hope he goes back to learn a trade. Fear of success is big in these guys. It’s rare to hear about success but even rarer to see it sustained.