Trish

Jim Collins in his book Good to Great puts forth the “stuff” of greatness in any profession – he coins the adjective humble-boldness: “A burning, passionate, obsessed ambition for the cause, for the work – not for themselves – and utterly stoic will to make good on that ambition”.

I’m calling out Trish Stevens - she’s passionate about her students. Isn’t that the “stuff” of a great teacher?  – teachers who are passionate about helping the neediest of students. We all know a student who is a “handful” - Trish has taken a very “challenging” student and found ways to affirm this student, unlock the key to this student’s behavior and gradually put the jumbled puzzle of what makes this student tick and what will help this student grow and make valuable contributions to her class.

Let’s circle back – “burning, passionate, obsessed – for the cause” –the case for Trish is for the respect and success of each of her students and most definitely one of the most challenging students she has encountered.  She uncovered ways to reach this student by

  • Highlighting his strengths for everyone to see
  • Helping him understand how he fits into the world around him - especially the classroom
  • Gets him invested in the school - joining clubs, coming to nightly school events, buying him spirit wear

Trish is not waiting for this kid to “screw up” - she’s always waiting for him to succeed. She roots for him.  She is his cheerleader. Trish is a great resource for many of us who struggle with ways to address such students.

I want to be like Trish when I grow up!

Marty

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