The Most Humbling Gift

Christmas is always a fun time for teachers. The kids are wild. They are always sneaking candy into their mouths and there is so much excitement in the air. I love being a teacher around Christmas time. It can be thoroughly exhausting, though.

Kids love to give teachers presents. I will have students ask me very pointed questions about my favorite foods, colors, fragrances, etc. They start asking in November and will even ask what I WANT them to give me. I honestly hate that question. I hate when they ask me "what do you like?" I never want to answer that question because it makes me feel as if I am asking for gifts.

This year was no different. I took a picture of my desk and sent it to Mama. She said she was "coming out of retirement to be a teacher". It made me laugh. I got candy, homemade gifts, a purse, and a keychain made into a high-heeled shoe. I also received a gift that humbled me more than any gift I have ever received in my life.

I have a student who I have had a hard time with this year. I made a snap judgement and decided she was stubborn and lazy. I knew she had a very poor home situation. However, she seemed to defy me at every turn. It was particularly difficult when I wanted her to do classwork I knew she was capable of. This girl came from a family that was destitute. The worst home situation I have ever seen in my ten years as an educator and I have seen some bad ones.

I made a conscious choice to soften up and work with her. I have tried to just LISTEN to her when she has excuses. It has NOT been easy. I still want to be tough and firm and FORCE her to do her schoolwork. I have wanted her to see that an education is the ONLY way she will be able to change her situation when she is old enough to do something about it. However, I have pulled back and tried very hard to just get her to do the work. We will work toward what I know she is capable of, later.

After a month or so, she started to come around. She would stop and talk to me in the hall. She drew pictures for me to post with the ones I post from other kids. She has started turning in more assignments. I have discovered that the work isn't as satisfying to me as seeing her start to thrive some. Seeing her smile as she walks down the hall and sees me standing outside my room.

As I sat at my desk on the last day before Christmas, gifts starting coming in. My desk started piling up with all the wonderful goodies and she came in. She walked up and plunked something down on my desk. It was wrapped in paper that had been reused. It was heavy and oddly shaped. I opened the paper on top a little to find a bottle of perfume. The lid was missing. The perfume bottle was only about 3/4 of the way full and the top was dusty. I nearly cried.

Of the twenty-odd gifts I received this year for Christmas from students, it is my favorite. It has a place on the mantle so I can see it all the time. I didn't even take all of the paper off of it. I want to be able to see it often as a reminder. I want to be reminded to stay humble and never, EVER make a snap judgement about a student again. I may never be able to reach every student, but that little bottle will be a constant reminder to keep trying.