I always find it odd,
perplexing actually,
when teachers complain
about the things
that their students
can’t do,
don’t do,
won’t do
or struggle with.
Isn’t that why we have jobs?
To recognize what a student can’t do
and then help them to do it?
“Well, he’s in third grade!” they say,
“Shouldn’t he be able to do this?!”
Maybe. But he can’t.
(This should be where the curtain opens
and the teacher, the hero, should take center stage).
When I hear teachers complain
About these struggling students
I always think of oncologists,
another group of professionals.
Now I’m sure that oncologists
might become frustrated
and might even complain
when their patients
don’t respond to the treatments
they’ve prescribed.
BUT then their next step
is to change course,
seek out options and answers,
try something else,
talk to colleagues,
research,
and repeat this process,
until they have LITERALLY
exhausted
EVERY
SINGLE
OPTION
they can think of.
Sadly,
as many of us know too well,
when oncologists are
out of options,
the battle is over,
and a life usually ends.
But sometimes their efforts pay off
and despite the fact that patients didn’t respond
to the first,
or second,
or third,
or fourth option, etc.
they eventually responded.
In cases like this,
many people
can be thankful
that the oncologist didn’t give up.
A life was saved.
It’s the patients that aren’t responding
to treatment that often need the most time and effort
from the oncologists.
That’s just the way it is.
Thank goodness
they don’t just complain
about their patients
unresponsiveness.
P.S.
Perhaps, in many cases,
teachers don’t prevent loss of life.
But, in many cases,
teachers do prevent a life being lost.
Trevor (@trevorabryan)