Remember When? by Chris Naughton As a teacher of high school students, it was a fatal mistake

byCNAUGHTON

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Updated 9 years ago

Remember When?

by Chris Naughton

As a teacher of high school students, it was a fatal mistake to put a student on the spot. It didn't matter what that kid had done. I did not make this rule up -- I simply remembered “when.”

What the teachers and the parents did not know back “when” was that behavioral problems have a cause. I suffered from ADHD and have all my life. I knew the damage teachers could do to a students's self-confidence without remembering how it felt to be on the other side of the desk “when” that sickening moment of embarrassment happens. “When” a silent vow is taken to never speak in class again.

Fast forward to my class in remedial reading where my students needed a lot of patience and encouragement. They had been missed when eachers were instilling a love of the written word, and learning to read. My kids were responding to reading strategies I had incorporated into my lesson plans. I even had them admitting out loud to each other that they were becoming comfortable with visualizing. Some days even blurting out loud, “Hey, I'm visualizing this!” It was thrilling.

Until we started a new short story. I shut the door and wrote the title on the board. That was my signal that books should be open, mouths closed, ready to start class... the oral review of their reading assignment. Randomly calling on each of them eventually, I asked about details of the story and asked more thoughtful questions as we progressed.

No one was immune from being asked the more difficult ones. I tried always to avoid negativity and to encourage them at this point to think further, adding more to answers that weren't wrong, exactly. So, on this day, I asked one of my less- than-eager-to-participate to explain his answer a bit more. I gently said that he was not exactly wrong: “Now, John, I am not saying that you are wrong. You are on the right track in your thinking...but...and that is a pretty big but...”

Of course, as the words left my mouth, my peripheral vision , keen hearing, and my own sense of humor, all kicked into high gear. The entire class waited a quick second and then with red faces and holding it in no longer...burst into paroxysms of laughter, including John.

I held it in as long as I could. Lost all decorum. Turned my back, walked to the blackboard, put my forehead against it and laughed as hard and loudly as the kids. As that moment, I tried to remember “when” we had wanted to laugh in class but did not dare. Our teachers only laughed out loud when they were talking to each other.

I finally turned around and used the sign of running my finger across my throat sign so we could get go on with the lesson. So, they did and I did, and we made it through the rest of the discussion with a few knowing smiles here and there.

As the bell rang to change classes, we exchanged giggles and affirmations of a fun day in English class...they would remember “when”.........