Why I teach...

OK, this is going to be a long one.

I have a student who is a truly wonderful, loving, kind and HILARIOUS kid. (by kid, I mean 16 yr. old) He makes me smile and laugh out loud everyday.

He didn't hand in his final project, so I spoke with his resource teacher to give her a heads up. She told me that B is having a rough time because dad is abusive and mom is trying to get out of the relationship right now. There is an older brother and younger brother as well. Mom is trying to get all 3 of them out. (4 including herself)

I was a little shocked at this news. Looking at this big teddy bear-like kid an trying to imagine anyone being abusive to him really breaks my heart.

So, OK, no worries about the project, he can hand it in whenever he can.

Part of the project was an oral presentation in front of the class. B's presentation was this week. His topic was "youth homelessness".

This is a kid who hasn't had much sucess in school, doesn't read very well and writes like a 5 year old. (big, jagged, uncontrolled letters) He has a resource teacher, but he just doesn't fit the mold of a "regular, average student". He is however, very creative. He plays guitar in a very hard-rock Megadeath-like band. Interesting, but when he sings, he screams.

So, he gets in front of the class with a cardboard box all duct-taped together with photos that he took of homeless teenagers in our city. In his words, the box was his shelter. He asked 2 other students to sit up at the front with him and hold their hats out to ask for change. The rest of us were to walk in front of them while they begged for money.

While we were doing this, B began to sing a song that he wrote for this project. He pulled out his acoustic guitar and began.

I was floored. This kid has an amazing voice and is so incredibly talented. I had tears streaming down my face as I listened to him play. We all did.

He ended his presentation with an interview that he did with a homeless teenager on the street. In answer to his question "why are you living on the street?" the young man answered "Because life at home sucked so much. My dad was abusive and beat all of us. I would never go back (home), it was too fucked up".

All I could see was the pain in B's eyes as he read the interview to us. I couldn't help but think that this could be him...