Rookies

When I read the placement tests for two of the students I would be working with this semester, I must admit I cringed. I sucked in my breath. This was going to be a hard term. But yesterday, I met these kids and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The first kiddo sat down and talked to me about colonialism and understood that the US was disinclined to do anything about the Rwandan genocide because they had no resources we desired. Anyone who has seen Freedom Writers or this season of The Wire understands that our urban youth are not typically exposed to this level of history for any number of reasons.

I was floored by how bright this kid was and stunned by my first real experience seeing a learning disability. Here was a kiddo who knew his stuff, really knew what he wanted to say, but because of a misfire somewhere in his brain just can't write it down the way he says it out loud. I felt so honored to work with him, and also like I wasn't doing much as he picked the paper up from the printer and recognized on his own the places where he needed to make changes.

This tutoring session of delight was quickly followed by another student who opened up to me immediately. Their assignment was to write about language and power, and he offered an example of a time a girl called him a dumb jock. He so emotional, telling me how that has stuck with him for years and all he's ever wanted to be was smart. I wonder how far he would excel if he were given time to be a student? As it is, he only got off the field and into the writing lab at 8pm. Today he's in at 9am after lifting weights since 6am. No wonder he's behind in school. I told him I thought he was very smart and pointed out places he used nice language and good descriptors in his paper. He then told me the girl who called him that asked him to dedicate his next touchdown to her. I hope she got pregnant at 16 and works at McDonalds. She is a mean girl.

I still have some cocky attitudes and some potty mouths to concentrate on, but as long as these sessions are punctuated with the two hard workers I met yesterday, I will enjoy every second of my day.