"Look Me In The Eyes"

Our students simply want us to "look them in their eyes."  If we could look into their eyes and see all that they had to offer, we may begin to appreciate them a little bit more.  We might be able to remember back to when we were their age and wanted our teachers to look at us in our eyes.  We wanted to be seen as an individual and not just as a child.  You see, although our students are young children, they are still people and they have something to offer.

Why are we scared of them?  Is there a reason?  Are we scared of what they can and will become?  What if all teachers believed that we wouldn't allow any of our students to finish where they began?  Can you imagine the impact this would have on test scores, graduation rates and AYP???  What if we could pull out what was imbedded inside each child that we had the pleasure of interacting with each and every day?  How powerful would that be???

Our students will become what they know they are...BUT how do they know what they are if we don't take the time to expose them to the possibility of what they could become?