It was early in the morning, on an isolated rural road in Colorado. A furious storm raged, with heavy rain and wind. A 9-year-old boy was in the car with his mother, who was driving him to school. Treacherous road conditions sent the car into a skid. The vehicle spun out of control, went off the road, rolled several times, and came to rest upside down in a ditch filled with water.
Fortunately, both the mother and son were wearing seatbelts. The mother suffered a blow to her head. She was conscious but temporarily unable to move a muscle. The boy was stunned but unhurt. As water poured through broken windows in the car, he unbuckled himself, crawled out of the passenger window, made his way around to the driver's side, and reached inside the car to undo his trapped mother's seatbelt. With great effort, he managed to free her, pull her through the window, and drag her through the water and up the embankment to the road, where they were soon rescued.
His mother later recounted her experience of the accident. Frustrated at being unable to move or even speak to offer instructions or encouragement to her son, she was amazed by his resourcefulness. She recalled hearing her boy saying out loud as he dragged her through the water, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!"
It seemed clear that this little boy's act of courage was bolstered by one of his favorite books: The Little Engine That Could. In that story, when everyone else had given up hope, the Little Engine carried a heavy load of toys and good things to get over the hill to the children waiting on the other side. He had the courage and took action.
Obviously, this one story, though compelling to this little boy, could not be fully responsible for his dramatic response to a frightening situation. But the book had left a deep impression, likely inspiring him to respond positively in an exceptionally difficult circumstance. The power of the story captured the young boy's imagination long before the accident that morning and motivated him to take action in the terrifying moments after the crash.
We don't often know what effect a book we read or words of encouragement we give to bolster confidence will have on our students' present or future lives. We know that poverty and adverse childhood experiences can have a restraining effect on our student's potential. But we also know that restraining effects can be overcome based on our actions each and every day. All of our students have great amounts of potential waiting to be unleashed. Let's keep looking for the right book, experience, assignment, or words that will soar every student from potential to realized action.
https://youtu.be/kFLktep03ms
Congratulations: Let's all recognize the two listed below for their selection as a classified employee of the year for 2023.
Pam DeOliviera - Classified Clerical and Administrative Services Employee of the Year Award for 2023
Krista Stephenson - Classified Paraprofessional Services Employee of the Year Award for 2023
Have a great weekend everyone,
Rob