I served in Memphis, Tennessee as a third grade teacher. It was my first year teaching and I learned that in the end it is the students who teach me. I had a classroom full of diversity and energy. One student that stands out in my mind is a Vietnamese boy named Henry. He was a good student who worked hard but never performed where he wanted to. He set his expectations high for school work and friends, and he was always looking to get more attention. The manner in which he portrayed these wants to his teachers was through anger. He had a lot of anger built up inside of him from people not seeing him in the right light. He was misjudged and was given the label as a problem child from other teachers and his family.

It did not take me long to realize that the outer layer of Henry was very different from the child within. He became my project for the year, the jewel that needed someone to pick it up and show it how beautifully it could shine. I always tried to treat Henry with the utmost patience and love. I finally discovered that giving him responsibility was the key to helping him see his gifts. I frequently asked him to assist me in the classroom tasks. He took great pride in doing his job and I always rewarded him for the effort that he gave. I always gave him attention when he did something good, because for so long he thought the only way to get attention was by breaking a rule.

Around Valentine’s Day, I had a reward system for doing good deeds for others. If I caught someone doing a good deed, I gave them a heart with a summary of their good behavior. Henry had the most in the class and would occasionally walk over to the wall where the hearts hung and smile at his accomplishment.

Henry taught me how to be a teacher that exemplified patience and love to her students. There were many challenging moments with Henry, but it was worth every deep breath when he would realize his mistake. He would apologize to me or a classmate for his wrong. His best moments were when he would say a simple but meaningful “Thank you.” On the last day of school, I gave Henry the award for the “biggest heart,” because deep down under his façade of a tough guy, he was a gentle and caring young student. I was proud that I saw his gift and helped Henry to see it also knowing he needed someone to care. I’ll never forget the smile on his face when he received his award and the ‘Thank You’ that followed.

Jen attended the Lasallian High School Totino Grace along with other LVs.