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Parable of the Paint Brush

2/27/2012

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Picture
   About twenty years ago my teacher duty found me monitoring elementary children who arrived before the 7:45 bell.  Most days this included a bunch of bus kids whose drivers obviously didn't get the memo about NOT arriving before 7:45. 
   In November of that year I noticed a new boy sitting by himself, keeping his head down. The next day he again sat by himself amidst kids greeting friends and beginning the day's sharing and telling. The third day I went over and sat next to him, starting up a conversation.  He told me he'd already been in three different schools since school started and from there, we talked about lots of things. He became my early morning bench buddy; each morning our voices joined the others.
   About three days before Christmas break he handed me a small, brown paper sack saying, "I know this isn't much, but I wanted to get you something for Christmas. You have been my only friend."  I opened the sack and inside was an slightly used artist's paintbrush. As I took it out he continued, "I found this at home and cleaned it up the best I could. I thought you might use it with your G.T. kids."  I thanked him with a hug as the homeroom bell rang, went to my classroom, shut the door, and cried. I should have cried because of the selfless love he showed me, I should have cried because he felt he had no other friend --I should have, but no...I cried in shame, realizing I had no idea what his name was.  Let me repeat that ...I had no idea what his name was.
   My teacher heart had seen a child in need and reacted to that need. Yet, I never thought to ask, "What is your name?"  When we came back from Christmas break my bench buddy was gone. The family evidently had moved yet again. Of all the things that have happened to me in my teaching career, that one event --more than any other --forever changed the way I view each student.  We do not teach children.  We teach Eric and Katie and Burt and Karli --we teach Jody and Jason and Amy and Claire.  It isn't enough to do the right thing for a student --we must value each, respecting who they are --someone with a name who is not like any other individual who has ever lived or ever will live.
   I framed the paintbrush and keep it hanging near my desk. Throughout the years, at some point all the kids I serve notice it and ask, "Why do you have a paintbrush in a frame?"  I tell them my story. I want them to think about the kids who need good friends and their power to be that needed friend, and I want them to know they are more than my students --they are individuals that I am honored to know and learn with. 
   
  

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    Patricia Hesse --working with gifted students as young as 5 and as old as 18 for the past 24 years --remarkable kids!

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  • Home
    • PRESENTATIONS >
      • GT, AMI, Today's World
      • AAGEA keynote
      • Characteristics/Identification
      • BRUNDIBAR -AGATE
      • Parenting G.T. Kids
      • Letting Go of Testing
      • GT & Innovation
      • Affective & Discipline Strategies
      • Classroom Website - Your Best Friend
      • Differentiation
      • Putting on a Play
    • Handbook
    • Scope and Sequence
  • PERFORMING ARTS
    • LESSONS
    • Instruments We Are Using
    • Music in Visual Art
    • Music Glossary
  • Productions!
    • Charlotte's Web >
      • Watch the PLAY!
      • Read with Us
      • SUMMARY WRITING
      • Chapter Activities
      • My OWN Farm
      • Iliad/Watership >
        • Iliad & Odyssey >
          • ILIAD summaries
          • Iliad Discussion
          • VIDEOS
        • The Odyssey >
          • Characters
          • Student Summary Pages
          • Odyssey Discussion
        • Watership Down >
          • Characters
          • VOCABULARY
          • LAPINE lanaguage
          • Flora in Watership Down
    • Adventures of Matilda >
      • Roald Dahl & "Matilda!" >
        • Roald Dahl Activities
        • MORE Book Activities
        • MUSIC 4 fun!
        • The Musical
        • Books
        • ENCOURAGING READING
        • Dahl & WRITING! (Activities)
    • Inside Out >
      • Newsela Emotions
    • BRUNDIBAR! >
      • All About Brundibar
      • Terezin Specialists
    • "Who Will Carry the Word?"
    • ANNIE >
      • Annie Dress Rehearsal PHOTOS
      • Roaring 20's Party!
    • Cinderella Photos/Curriculum
    • A Christmas Carol >
      • Why A Christmas Carol? >
        • Essential Questions
        • Vocabulary
        • Street Children
        • Dickens' BIO
        • Original Manuscript
        • Dickens and Art
    • COMING TO AMERICA! >
      • Story of Annie Moore
      • Mrs. Dunn's Lovely Farm
      • The Hundred Dresses
      • Orphan Train
      • Immigration Terms
      • Statue of Liberty
    • Lights, Camera, Comedy!
    • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
    • Bye, Bye Birdie
    • "It's a Wonderful Life!"
    • The Taming of the Shrew
    • A Midsummer Night's Dream
    • Harvest Celebration
  • Holocaust Education
    • Brundibar (Terezin)
    • Delbo's WHO WILL CARRY THE WORD?
    • Holocaust Presentations >
      • Timeline
      • Anne Frank
      • Words from Dr. John Roth
      • WWII PHOTOS
      • Shedding Light on the Shadow
    • Remembrance SEDER
  • Past Studies
    • Mysteries
    • THE NOVEL PROJECT
    • MATILDA AT HOME! AMI >
      • HUMAN Masterpieces
      • CORONA DISK JOCKEY!
      • "If I Were a Rich Man/Woman" >
        • Kylie's Gallery
        • Benton's Gallery
        • Xander's Gallery
        • Gentrye's Gallery
        • Ava's Gallery
        • Cannon's Gallery
        • Tyler's Gallery
        • Eli's Gallery
        • Jax Gallery
        • Madden's Gallery
        • Troy's Gallery
        • Brody's Gallery
        • Peyton's Gallery
        • Scarlet's Gallery
        • Mack's Gallery
        • Amelia's Gallery
        • Emily's Gallery
        • Rylee's Gallery
        • Cal's Gallery
        • Marley's Gallery
        • Sam's Gallery
      • Character in Action
    • Anthropomorphism >
      • LIST # 1 >
        • Black Beauty
        • Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of Nimh
        • Bunnicula!
        • Babe
        • The Sight
        • The Jungle Book
        • Tale of Despereaux
        • Wind in the Willows
        • Chronicles of Narnia
        • Mouse Called Wolf
        • One / Only Ivan
        • Watership Down
      • LIST # 2 >
        • Martin's Mice
        • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
        • Fire Bringer
        • Never-ending Story
        • Trumpet Swan
        • Animal Farm
        • Cricket Times Square
        • Redwall
        • Nest for Celeste
        • Winnie the Pooh
        • WARRIORS
        • MOUSE/ Motorcycle
      • LIST # 3 >
        • Freddy Goes to Florida
        • The Capture
        • Ace the Very Important Pig
        • PAX
        • The Golden Compass
        • Stuart Little
        • The Underneath
        • Tales Beatrix Potter
        • Bambi
        • MAUS
        • Poppy
        • WAR HORSE
        • Masterpiece
      • Anthropomorphic Wisdom
      • MENTAL PUZZLES
      • ACTIVE Reading
  • K/1 /2 Enrichment
    • MORE K/1 /2 Activities >
      • STILL More K/1 /2 Activities >
        • What is Creativity?
        • Memory Frameworks
        • Creativity Analogy Task
        • Rudyard Kipling Project
        • Things that are Red
        • BEDS for K-1
        • Christmas!
        • Book of Kells
        • Tree Tunnels
        • Wired Animals
        • Flashlight
        • Originality Lesson
      • Helping Young Kids with Testing
  • Creativity
    • Creativity INTRO >
      • Creative Thinking Tools
      • Why Creativity Counts
      • Creativity Videos
      • Creativity Facts
  • Nurturing CULTURE
    • Character Words
    • PLACE OF THE WEEK
    • ARTIST OF THE WEEK
    • MUSICIAN / COMPOSER OF THE WEEK
  • About the Teacher
    • Recognition
    • "Stuff I Like" (for teachers) >
      • Algebra for Kids! >
        • Creative Algebra Projects
    • When I Worked With Secondary >
      • A Final Goodbye
      • 911 Tribute
      • ExCEL
      • Broadway!
      • Power Women!
      • Pumpkin Vault
      • Affective
    • Blog
    • Miss Hesse's European Adventure