Time must go on. Things must come to an end.
In other news...
I have a slight new addiction. And a story.
The other day, I was doing some research for one of my lessons. Typically if I don't know the answer to question, I will type it into the search bar and see what my results are. Typical. I've done this for a while. Anyway, on this particular day, one of my questions' answers popped up on Yahoo Answers. I'm used to that - happens a lot. Only on this day, I became rather curious. I have a Yahoo account, so I decided to sign in to Yahoo Answers because I found a question that I really wanted to answer. So I did.
And a whole new world opened up to me! I spent the next two hours in the education or social sciences section just answering people's questions, giving advice, doing some research, and enjoying some of the questions that people have put out there.
I probably answered about 10 questions. All very long and thorough answers. Some were asking advice about school, others about homework (to which I NEVER gave them the answer but I helped them figure out how to find it), still others looking for information about how to become a teacher, etc. Most of the questions, I find, are easily answered by just Googling it. It would be so much faster, but then again, some people don't think. Oh well.
I was feeling pretty good about my place in the world at that point - advisee, teacher, general educator. Yeah. Then I can across a question that asked if it would be justifiable to forge a signature to get out of trouble.
Whoa! Hang on!
Rewind...
Freeze!!
Forge a signature... that didn't sound good. So I clicked on the question and read the predicament. I won't go into details because I'm all about privacy, but I answered her question with a story from my past that coincided with her present situation. I also answered it from a teacher's perspective (which, I find, many people actually appreciate!).
I didn't expect the girl to appreciate what I had said, but I posted it anyways.
Then I got an email.
It said: "Your answer has been chosen as the best answer for this question! Congratulations!" or something along those lines.
I clicked the button to see what question it was. Sure enough it was the girl with the signature problem. Politely, she thanked me for my insight and told me that she had decided to do the right thing and take her punishment for breaking the rules - which is what I had said was the right thing to do, instead of forging her mother's signature to get out of the punishment.
I felt so special!! Someone actually appreciated what I had to say and decided to do the right and honest thing. I was so proud of her - like she was one of my own who had seen the light!
I don't know who this girl is, or what her life's story is, but her comment sort of just brought to light how simple little gestures (like saying thank you and MEANING it) really do make the world seem a little less foreboding. This girl's story gives me some confidence that there are parents out there who raise their children right - to be honest and to be polite, to be good and trustworthy students. She is not my student, but I applaud her parents for raising her right. And her, for listening to them.
But this is what I've learned: There are students out there who, despite the positions they may have put themselves in, are willing to pay for their transgressions even if they don't want to.
I mean, I was that student in high school, but I'm glad I'm not the only one who was/is like that.
There is hope in the future. Thank you, S******** for letting me realize this again.
I love my job and I'm so glad I can have an impact on the world - even if it's small. You can, too. Find an opportunity this week to do so. We can all help make the world a better place.
Aimee
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