��ɫ��Ƶ

When I first met Aaron*, I noticed his timid posture: head tilted down and eyes low. I noticed he didn’t participate much in the classroom and fell asleep often. When my partner teacher first asked me to meet with him every day for 30 minutes, I knew I had hard work ahead of me, but I felt compelled to help Aaron and knew the potential that he possessed.��

I began our 1:1 session with simple questions such as: how do you feel? What did you do this weekend? I noticed he could only muster a few murmurs. I asked him to spell his name, he only spelled his first name, wrong. I asked if he could write his last name but could only remember a few letters. I noticed Aaron lacked many of the basic phonics and literacy skills that his 2nd-grade classmates knew by heart, so I strategized to work our way up.�� ��

My first goal was to get my student to know every letter of the alphabet and to be able to point to letters and tell me their sound. I incorporated whiteboards, games, and other small activities that would be enjoyable to learn from. I noticed his enthusiasm in our sessions increased and after a few weeks, Aaron knew the letters and could spell his first and last name with no problem. I also realized; his knowledge of math was like his literacy knowledge. He would have to use a number line to add say 9 + 7 but would get to 6 and forget what I had asked him.������

My partner teacher and I realized our student might have a learning disability or memory problems and sought professional help. Aaron was observed and helped by a school psychologist, and she told us to keep doing 1:1s. I learned of the many home challenges Aaron faced, and it explained why he came to school so tired. I encouraged my student to voice his emotions and used SEL strategies to teach him to face the frustration that comes with learning something new.������

I have met with Aaron almost every day for months and continue to be astonished by his perseverance, grit, and attitude towards his education. I have adapted my lessons and collaborated with my partner teacher to ensure we give our students the best support to succeed now and beyond. I am proud of the immense emotional and academic progress he has made; Aaron has deepened my belief in the power of young people.��

*Name has been changed.