Best Day in Education

  I have been in education for over 25 years. I started as a classroom teacher, then a reading/math interventionist, school support, and back to the classroom. As a school support teacher, I was a cross between a guidance counselor and an administrator. I have degrees in both areas. I would do guidance lessons, meet with small groups and connect with parents. One of the most important parts of the job was to build relationships. One year, I had a particularly difficult group of 5th grade boys that seemed to always be getting into trouble. Some of the boys I worked with in previous years and some were new to the school that year. They were not only having difficulty at school (not completing assignments, getting into fights, general disrespect), but outside of school as well. They all had one thing in common, they came from single parent households and were living with their moms. Most did not have a father figure in their lives. I had to walk a fine line with these boys...I needed ...