Small Stones Day 22: Motivational Training

If you think that a little motivation can change a life, then I have a story for you.

Today a young man stood a bit taller and walked with a calm confidence as he moved through the halls of  middle school. He had just left a meeting with a group of his teachers who had gathered to deliver some news: he was going to be on the honor roll this nine weeks.

This same young man began middle school struggling to fit in, reading at a 4th grade level and performing below grade level in math. His grades hovered between C's and D's, but not for lack of trying. He became more frustrated and discouraged.

At the beginning of this school year the boy fell further behind. He wanted to do better, but needed a boost. Teachers began noticing his perseverance and desire to succeed. They gave him a reason to believe that he could do the work.

A teacher began a new reading program and this boy was invited to give it a try. He was reading 84 words per minute in October. The target for his grade level was 128. The boy worked hard and received a lot of encouragement. As his confidence grew, his grades began to climb. He started reading books during his free time and on weekends.

He took an assessment in September and scored below level in Reading. His second assessment, taken three weeks after beginning the reading program, showed a jump from a Level 2, to a Level 3. Three weeks later, this boy was reading 133 words per minute. He not only hit the target, he exceeded it.

His long-range goal was to get out of the remedial reading class and take PE. This afternoon, the principal listened to his request, studied his report card and test scores, and granted him his request. When the principal told him how proud she was of all of his hard work, the boy quickly blinked back tears.

He is the reason I do what I do. It gives me a feeling of great pride, not because of what I did for him, but for what he did for himself. He accepted help, he worked hard and he found the key to success- self motivation.

Today, I am proud to be a teacher.