letting him do this, I thought. They are allowing him to share something he perhaps has never shared before, and they aren’t judging him or teasing him. I felt a lump6 in my own throat.
Al finished, struggling now to read his last sentence. “If l had one wish, it would be to meet my dad, so I wouldn’t... ” His tears were rolling now, and so were ours, “... so I wouldn’t have to close my eyes in bed every night just wondering what he looks like. ”
Without any cue from me, the class stood up and applauded. Al smiled from ear to ear as they all rushed him with hugs. I was floored.
This is why I teach. I teach because I am allowed to learn the stories behind the faces. I teach because I can watch kids grow and laugh and learn and love. I teach because of students like Al.