Just sharing a story from one of my passive mentor Francis Kong. Please read, it's worth reading.
A Teacher's Word
“PLEASE COME UP TO MY DESK, NANCY,” my geography teacher requested.
“Why is she calling me?” I wondered. I didn’t even know that she knew my name. As far as I could remember, she had never spoken to me. I was a very shy and quiet student. I succeeded to make average grades, even though I didn’t study. I wasn’t one of her best students, or one of her worst. I was simply an “average” student. Unfortunately, average kids don’t usually get noticed. I have found that teachers tend to pamper smart kids and help the slow kids, when they are not trying to discipline the bad kids. Average kids, somehow, get lost in the shuffle.
I arose from my seat and tiptoed, hesitantly toward her desk. Around me, my friends were whispering and snickering. I began to tremble. “What did I do?” I asked myself, as I stood at her desk. She looked up to me and placed her pen on her desk. She began to shuffle through some papers.
“Did you call me?” I whispered. I was hoping I had misunderstood. “I certainly did young lady,” she answered, as she pulled several pieces of paper from the bottom of the rustled stack. “Is this your test, Nancy?” “Yes,” I replied.
It was an essay test, which consisted of three difficult questions. I had answered each of the questions to the best ability, even though I didn’t have a clue as to what the correct answers were.
“Did you study Nancy?” she quizzed. “No, I didn’t,” I confessed, expecting her to tear my test in half. “I didn’t think so,” she declared, as she placed an A on my paper. “An A?” I inquired. “Yes,” she said. “Why do you look so surprised? You have a way for words like I never seen before. You earned it but please study next time.” As I started to walk away she called my name again when I turned around, she was smiling. “You’re going to be a great writer someday,” she said. “I believe in you.” I was elated. I had my very first ‘A’ in that class. But better than that, I knew that my teacher believed in me, even though I didn’t even believe in myself. From that day on I studied diligently and brought my grades up. “If my teacher believed in me, I couldn’t let her down,” I decided.
That day was a turning point in my life. I never forgot her words. I began my writing career thirty years later and have now been published in numerous books and periodicals. Encouragement goes a long way in the life of success. “You’re going to be a great writer someday,” she said. “I believe in you.” What a difference those few words made in my life!
This story is written by NANCY B. GIBBS who turned out to be a very prolific writer.
It was my first week in college when a science professor told me to stay after class. I hated the idea of having to stay after class now that I’m in college because I had been a regular after-class stayee all of my high school life. After all the students have left the professor showed me the very first quiz I had taken at the start of my college life. I had a perfect score. And then she said, “Mr. Kong, I can see now that you will become a scholar in this school.” For the first time in my life somebody believed in me. I decided to take up on her challenge. Four years later, I graduated top in my school. And I am here today because a professor gave me a break and believed in me.
Perhaps this is the reason why I have spent more time and money, giving lectures and seminars to educators all over the country. Challenging them to believe in their students and to help them build a life. Teaching is a most noble profession and once we begin to see potential in our students something happens, they become great. The greatest Teacher who ever walked this planet sees us for our potential, and If we put our faith in Him, learn from Him then truly we shall accomplish much. For none can ever match the greatness of the Greatest Teacher Jesus Christ Himself.
Question is, are we learning?
A Teacher's Word
“PLEASE COME UP TO MY DESK, NANCY,” my geography teacher requested.
“Why is she calling me?” I wondered. I didn’t even know that she knew my name. As far as I could remember, she had never spoken to me. I was a very shy and quiet student. I succeeded to make average grades, even though I didn’t study. I wasn’t one of her best students, or one of her worst. I was simply an “average” student. Unfortunately, average kids don’t usually get noticed. I have found that teachers tend to pamper smart kids and help the slow kids, when they are not trying to discipline the bad kids. Average kids, somehow, get lost in the shuffle.
I arose from my seat and tiptoed, hesitantly toward her desk. Around me, my friends were whispering and snickering. I began to tremble. “What did I do?” I asked myself, as I stood at her desk. She looked up to me and placed her pen on her desk. She began to shuffle through some papers.
“Did you call me?” I whispered. I was hoping I had misunderstood. “I certainly did young lady,” she answered, as she pulled several pieces of paper from the bottom of the rustled stack. “Is this your test, Nancy?” “Yes,” I replied.
It was an essay test, which consisted of three difficult questions. I had answered each of the questions to the best ability, even though I didn’t have a clue as to what the correct answers were.
“Did you study Nancy?” she quizzed. “No, I didn’t,” I confessed, expecting her to tear my test in half. “I didn’t think so,” she declared, as she placed an A on my paper. “An A?” I inquired. “Yes,” she said. “Why do you look so surprised? You have a way for words like I never seen before. You earned it but please study next time.” As I started to walk away she called my name again when I turned around, she was smiling. “You’re going to be a great writer someday,” she said. “I believe in you.” I was elated. I had my very first ‘A’ in that class. But better than that, I knew that my teacher believed in me, even though I didn’t even believe in myself. From that day on I studied diligently and brought my grades up. “If my teacher believed in me, I couldn’t let her down,” I decided.
That day was a turning point in my life. I never forgot her words. I began my writing career thirty years later and have now been published in numerous books and periodicals. Encouragement goes a long way in the life of success. “You’re going to be a great writer someday,” she said. “I believe in you.” What a difference those few words made in my life!
This story is written by NANCY B. GIBBS who turned out to be a very prolific writer.
It was my first week in college when a science professor told me to stay after class. I hated the idea of having to stay after class now that I’m in college because I had been a regular after-class stayee all of my high school life. After all the students have left the professor showed me the very first quiz I had taken at the start of my college life. I had a perfect score. And then she said, “Mr. Kong, I can see now that you will become a scholar in this school.” For the first time in my life somebody believed in me. I decided to take up on her challenge. Four years later, I graduated top in my school. And I am here today because a professor gave me a break and believed in me.
Perhaps this is the reason why I have spent more time and money, giving lectures and seminars to educators all over the country. Challenging them to believe in their students and to help them build a life. Teaching is a most noble profession and once we begin to see potential in our students something happens, they become great. The greatest Teacher who ever walked this planet sees us for our potential, and If we put our faith in Him, learn from Him then truly we shall accomplish much. For none can ever match the greatness of the Greatest Teacher Jesus Christ Himself.
Question is, are we learning?
1 comment:
Nice post, very inspiring!
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