Partnership Educators,
Zach's struggles had been around for a long time and they manifested themselves in behaviors and attendance issues. His broken family was weighing on his mind and was reflected in the above reactions to his life situation. The seventh-grader was searching for purpose and passion. His then teacher was continually trying to make a connection with Zach and learning as much as possible to see how to support and encourage him.
The school day after Christmas began as normal except that Zach seemed more excited than usual. Upon inquiry, the teacher discovered that Zach was so excited about an electronic drum machine that he had received for Christmas. The teacher encouraged him to bring it to school and do a demo for the class after the work was completed. The next day, Zach proceeded to complete his work and set up the demonstration for the entire class. The teacher says, "We were blown away with some really cool beats that he made right in front of us."
That was more than 10 years ago. Fast forward to this school year when Zach ran into his former teacher from long ago at a RAP performance at a local venue. Now in his early twenties, Zach explained that he had never stopped grinding in music and that he was now the producer of this event. He went on to say that "Hard work pays off," and he credited this teacher for giving him his first opportunity to make beats for an audience. Thank you Mr. Harris for your work with young Zach and for helping him find his passion.
Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week and so let's give a shout-out and on-site celebration for our talented staff who, like the single example above, make a difference each and every day. The General Education, Special Education, Speech Therapists, Psychologists, and Counselors are all in on teaching our students and supporting their needs each and every day.
Rob