Proud Mama Bear

Since the beginning of February I have been working twice a week in a program to help students who are struggling in English. I go in to their English class during my conference period and do whatever the class is doing that day to help them keep up. It has been a challenge and very rewarding. I have met new students, worked with two new teachers and because I am paid for the time I have to make up my conference period. Because I also tutor after school on Mondays I go in at 6:50 and am there until 4 with just a 30 minute lunch break. Or so it seems.

One of the students I am working with is tremendously artistically talented. He is funny, hardworking when motivated and trying to turn his life around. When I first met him he asked me for a favor which led me to of course ask questions which of course got me involved in his life. Long story short he is a 12 year old who has been in a gang, has a tattoo, is getting the tattoo removed (that's where I came in) and is now out of the gang and focusing on school and art. My job is to help him get his English homework turned in and figure out how to get him to show up for homeroom. He missed 6 months of homeroom before he met me. Since meeting me he has made it twice. Baby steps. Baby steps.

Every day he does not come to homeroom he has lunch detention with me which is why my thirty minute break is not really a break but it gives us time to get his work done. This is his latest project and I couldn't be more proud, he entered the Google Doodle contest and was one of 6 entries picked from my school to go to the national competition. This is a giant leap in the right direction as he had to come up with the idea, draw it (there were many drafts), get a consent form signed (which asks where you were born, who knew it could be a complicated question??????) and get it all in by the due date.

He did it and I am so proud, I don't care if he wins, I know this is part of his path to where he needs to be. Like many others in his situation, he is a strong, smart, lovable child with never ending potential. Key word being child. I know what he has gone through in his short life and for him to create this drawing for the topic "What I Wish for the World" shows a lot about what is inside the hardened kids I and so many others see everyday.

http://picasaweb.google.com/charlie.unk/Google2009?feat=directlink#5317614612790904850