posted
Some of you here have heard me mention before my 17-year-old middle child, which for the purposes of this post I will just call DS (for dear son), who I currently homeschool. DS is what they call a “twice-exceptional” child, meaning dual issues – he tests very high on IQ tests, yet performs very poorly due to a variety of reasons including dyslexia, dysgraphia, and some mental processing problems. Overall, he’s a great kid, but really really struggles in the regular public school structure due to his issues, and needs a lot of guidance. That is why I choose to homeschool him – not because I have any bad feelings about public schools, but just because he requires mostly all one-on-one, and it was straining their resources to provide that.
But before he was homeschooled, before we knew the depth of these problems, he was in primary school. His kindergarten teacher was the first to raise concerns about DS, and not all went well his K year. Then came first grade.
DS’s first grade teacher was a new teacher, young, optimistic. His name was Mr. Woolf. He stood 6’5” tall and lean, towering above these 6-year-old first graders. And they all adored him, especially my DS. Mr. Woolf realized right off that my son had issues – but he chose to focus on the “gifted” part instead of the “problem” part. He would allow DS to do all the math in his head and call out the answers. He would let him wander the room back to the computer, etc., but ask him an occasional question pertaining to what they were working on, and DS would always know the answer – even if it appeared that he wasn’t even listening. Mr.Woolf understood that DS was already well above first grade in knowledge, so he expanded his challenges, gave him puzzles and conundrums and different problems than the “cat” and “hat” all the other kids were getting. DS really thrived.
From there on out in school, after first grade, each grade got progressively worse for DS, unfortunately. And Mr. Woolf left our school system to become a principal somewhere else.
When DS was about fifth grade age, he had an assignment to write about himself, and part of that was to answer the question, “Who is your hero?” To my surprise, DS wrote down “Mr. Woolf, because he always believed in me and no one else did.” This is four years after first grade.
So I write all of this above, in order to say this:
Two weeks ago while on vacation from work, while my oldest son went off to college and my daughter went off to high school, I woke DS up one morning and said, “Let’s go out to breakfast”. So we did. And from there, I drove. I told him I just wanted to do some “sight-seeing” because it was too rainy to do anything else. So we drove. Through Sterling, through Lyons, through Great Bend. About an hour and a half later we drove into Hoisington, Kansas. And I pulled up in front of a grade school there. DS says, “why are we stopping here?” and I smile.
DS is now 17 years old, you know, and 6’4” tall himself now. Much different than 11 years ago when he was in first grade. But Mr. Woolf saw us coming up the sidewalk, and came out to greet us. (no, I did not tell him we were coming). He is a principal at this K-3 primary building. He took us into the office to show us photos of his wife and two children (he was not married back when he taught DS). Told us about his life and his hobbies, and his side business of selling things for duck hunters. DS could almost look him eye to eye now, and he was just grinning the entire time. I have never seen my son beam so much. Mr. Woolf asked DS how he was doing, what he was doing, etc. (which has not been much lately – he has been very discouraged). DS just kept grinning and looking at him, like he couldn’t believe he was seeing him again.
So after a short visit we left. But DS just had that grin all day. It has just cheered him up so much. Now he’s talking about what he wants to do for the future. Now he seems a little more optimistic. Now, I think, he is trying to live up to the belief in him that he remembers a certain teacher having.
Just the impact of one person on one other person’s life.
posted
Oh the glorious blessings of One Teacher who took a liitle effort to impact a childs life in such a way. *applauds* And applause to you Farmgirl, for seeing your sons needs, and for recognizing the value that this man had in his life. That is awesome.
Great story Farmgirl, thanks for relating it. A person like that who recognizes what is exceptional in a person and honors it can do wonders for that person. I'm glad that you able to track Mr. Woolf down.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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quote: He tests very high on IQ tests, yet performs very poorly...
Sounds a bit like me; except I perform barely adequately in school due to laziness. I hate most lessons and the ones that are interesting I drag over to my side of the discussion. much for being in a school.
I am in no position to commnt anything useful as I am not a parent, nor was I ever 17 years old.
posted
Farmgirl - I hope you DS is able to keep such a special person in his life. My 5th grade teacher was very special and at 28 I consider him the most influential person in my life. He was my mentor in H.S and when I got married I knew I could not have anyone but him sing at my wedding. I work 3 blocks from his house now and I see him every couple of weeks. He is a reminder of what I wish I could be and what I have yet to accomplish. What a special person you are to have tracked down someone who meant so much to your son.
Posts: 153 | Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
That's amazing. Kudos to both you and Mr Woolf.
There's one elementary school teacher who I still think about a lot, and keep on thinking that I should call. Teachers can have an amazing impact, more than I think most of them realize.
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posted
Farmgirl, that made me cry. I am dislexic and have had a few other issues that made putting things I knew onto paper very hard in elementary school. My first grade teacher fought with the school system to get me tested so that this could be worked on, and in the last week of first grade they finally did it. At that time, we knew my teacher was leaving the school to take classes the next year and get his masters. He was very similar to the teacher you describe, and in his third year teaching at our school. The next march, I woke up one morning and my mom told me that he had died. We didn't know at the time, but our school sent home letters, he had died of Aids. This was one of the first cases discussed in our town, it was quite a focus because he was a first grade teacher. His partner had died during my first grade year. I still think of this teacher, and how he effected me, and made school possible for me.
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