SchoolGlue（学校里的粘合剂）

SchoolGlue（学校里的粘合剂）

Myclassroomwasasortof“dumpingground”atonepointinmycareer.Thecounselor,Mr.H.,hadahabitofcomingtomewithatimidsmileandsaying,“Ihaveakidforyouwhoyou’lljustlove.”Thatwascodefor“Ineedtoputa‘bad’kidinyourclasswho’sgottenkickedoutbyanotherteacher.”Isighedandanswered,“Well,alright.”Andthus,inwalkedJosh.

Somekidsputupalittlewalltopreventothersfromknowingtheirvulnerabilities.Joshhadmilitary-gradebodyarmor.Hewasatypical,tough-acting,fourteen-year-oldboy:smackinthemiddleofadolescence,somethingtoprovebutnothingtoproveitwithjustyet.Hedidn’tlikeschoolandschooldidn’tlikehim.

ThementionofJosh’snameyield-edgrowlsandsteaminthreegradelevelsofmiddle-schoolteachers.Igothimforfourperiodsduringhiseighth-gradeyear.

Hewasinmyhistoryclass,mystudyhall,my“studentassistant”period,andhesatinmyroomduringanotherteacher’sclass,withwhomhe“didn’tgetalong.”Heworkedsome,butmostly,hedrewlotsandlotsofpictures.Hebroughtwithhimfrustrationfromotherclasseseverydayandwouldcomeinangrily,ignoreme,andgetoutpaper.Ilethimdraw,butIfrequentlycomplainedtohimthatheoughttobedoingworkforhisotherteachers.Hewasdifficult,soIjustlefthimalonemostofthetime.

Prettysoon,JoshandIhadcometoanunderstanding.Heheldittogetherjustenoughtokeepmesane.Whenhewasfinishedwithhisworkformehewouldaskforpaperandpencilstodraw.Iwouldreluctantlyagree,asIknewitwasnotabattleIneededtopickduringmybusyday.Otherteachershadcomplainedoverandoverthathedrewpicturesintheirclasses,soIwasreluctanttoencouragehim.Heleftafolderinmy

classroomwithhisdrawings,butIneverlookedatit.Imadeitthroughtheyear,justbarely,withmyJosh—heavyexpe-rience.

Attheendoftheschoolyear,IspokebrieflywithJosh’smother.SheexplainedthatJosh’sfatherhadbeendeployedforoverfourteenmonthstoIraqandwasfrequentlyincombat.IdonotknowhowIdidn’tknowthis—nooneattheschoolhadmentionedit.Isupposethereweresomanydeploymentsamongourmilitaryfamiliesthatitwasover-looked.Joshhadtohelphertakecareofhisyoungerbrotherwithspecialneeds.Hehadn’thadagoodyearatschool,buthe’dhadanevenworseyearathome.Thestressofthedeploymenthadtakenatollonhisfamily.BecauseJoshlikedtodraw,thefamilypsychologistsuggestedhedrawwheneverhefeltfrustratedorangryorsadorscared.Hedrewallthetimeathometoo.Ifeltsoterrible.

Josh’smothergavemeabeautiful,handmadebook.IthadseveralofthemostamazingdrawingsIhadeverseen,andacoupleofphotosofJoshtorememberhimby,”sincetheywouldbemovingsoon.Icouldn’tbelievehewassotalentedandIhadnevertakenamomenttonotice.Hehaddrawnmeworkingatmydesk,theviewouttheclassroomwindow,thefurnitureinmyclassroom,vegetables,fruits,andmanyotherthings.Amazing.

WhenIaskedwhyshehadgiventhebooktome,sheexplainedthatsheknewwhatadifficultchildhewas.ShetoldmethatIwastheonlyteacherwhohadnotthrownhisdrawingsaway.ShesaidJoshhadactuallydescribedmetothefamilypsychologistasthe“glue”thatheldhisworldtogethersincehisdadleft,andthatIwastheonlyteacherwhowaskindtohim.BecauseIlethimdrawwhenhewassadorangry,hewantedmetohavethebooktosay“thankyou.”Shesaidhewastooembarrassedtogivemethebookhimself.Shegavemeatearfulhug,andsheleft.Ihavenotseenthemsince.IdothinkaboutJoshlots;Ihaveoneofhispieces—aradish—framedinmykitchen.

Ateacher’sjobisdifficult.Weforgetsometimes,however,thatday-to-daylifecanbefarmoredifficultformanyofourstudents.Itrytofindsomethingspe-cialineverystudent,butbecauseofJosh,Itryharderwiththe“complicated”kids.IknewIhadbeenkind,asdifficultasitwassometimes,butIneverknewIwasglue—myveryunintendedproud-