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Letter-writer Scott Hurban extolls the virtues of taking a wayward youngster under your wing.
EDITOR,
I am a teacher by trade. We are all teachers in one way or another and can affect a child’s life.
Let me tell you about my former student, Joe. Joe’s mom was a heroin addict, and his sister was on speed. She was nearly beaten to death by a boyfriend until Joe stopped him. When his grandpa died, Joe was homeless for a while.
When Joe entered my class as freshmen, he needed help spelling his name. He trusted no adults except his grandpa, who died later that year. Why should he? He was a constant behavior problem in my class. He created problems, he later told me, because he couldn’t read.
No matter how disrupted Joe became, I decided to love him like my own son.
The turning point came, according to Joe, when he told me he was smarter than me. He expected me to put him in his place but was surprised when I told him that was true to a certain extent, that everyone has something to teach someone else.
From that moment on, Joe began to learn. He came to me with the simplest words and asked me what they meant or how to sound them out. He spent time reading the dictionary and learning new words. Today, Joe attends Delta College and gets As and Bs.
Is there a Joe who lives in your neighborhood? Is there a boy or girl who appears to be unlovable but is waiting for you to touch their lives with your unconditional love?
Scott Hurban, Tracy
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