Challenge

Jamal, unbeknownst to me, was probably one of the worst students in the school. Last year, they took him out of the classroom and had him one-on-one with one of our special education teachers. He really needed a lot of extra attention. Ed, my supervisor, came up to me without giving any background information. He said, “He just needs a little extra attention, he’s a really good kid though. He’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it.” So I started taking him.

I took Jamal a half hour every day at 10:00. He would run away from me, he would call me all sorts of vulgar names, he would flip me off. He would test me in every way he could. It is a child like Jamal that you want to reach out to. My stomach was in knots near 10, every time I looked at the clock. I was so nervous. I did not want to give up. For these tough ones, there must be some background history, some sort of reason why they lash out like that. He taught me patience. He taught me a lot at that school.

By the end of the year I had to do testing and I couldn’t take Jamal anymore. He would see me in the hall saying, “Why don’t you come to get me anymore? Why don’t you take me for counseling anymore? I want you to come.” From remarks like that you really know that you did make a difference, that you did get through, even though you don’t see it or they don’t let you see it.

Success

I worked with Ernest very closely last year. This 11 year-old boy was diagnosed with ADHD, but unfortunately there is a lot more going on in his head. He is not in reality, not in our reality. Unfortunately last year he threatened suicide many times. They decided he needed a lot more attention and that I should be the one to give it to him.

I took him out of class every day for 45 minutes to an hour to give the teachers a break, to give the class a break, to give him a break—to work on some of the issues that he was not attending to at home.

I don’t counsel Ernest anymore, unfortunately. I see him in the hallway. He is doing excellently this year. He had done a complete 180. He is well behaved in class. And the teacher said that to reward him I should I take him out for a half hour on Fridays.

He lives in the city with his grandmother, who is very old and can barely get around, in a very bad neighborhood in the projects. He can’t get outside a lot. He loves nature. So I take him for a walk out of school, just to walk and talk with him about things going on in his life and how he is doing.

One Friday for the reward, we just walked around and I asked him the question. I was just curious and did not expect to get the answer I got. “Ernest, what made you turn around? Why are you behaving so well, doing so well? What got you turned around? We’re all proud of you. Your teacher says you are her superstar student. Compared with last year you wouldn’t think this would happen. What made you do it?” He looked up at me and said, “You know, Erica, you told me I could do it and I did!” That is something you hold very dear: when a little kid in front of you shares something like that.