Marvin Charles Jr. came to my 5th grade classroom in January 1999, as [an] angry young man, with a world of hurts. He would act out so violently, that I had some fear and reservations about him hurting himself or others. He was able to make a contract with me, that stated, "he could only act out if it did not inflict pain on himself, or others." So we went about coming up with some alternative behaviors, ways he could reduce the angry feelings, which he quickly realized, using the new behaviors was winning friends. I remember him saying, "I only want my Dad to be proud of me." What more does any child ever want from their dad? Marvin was scared to talk to his dad because he thought he would disappoint him, and despite that, set off to do that very thing, talk with his father. At this time, Marvin could barely hold a D+ average.
After talking with his father ,and feeling supported by his father, Marvin had succeeded in what looked like small ways at first, but by the end the term, Marvin's grade average was a B+. He had many friends and was a joy to have in class. He became a participant in the classroom and in life. He earned every bit of that, by facing himself and his biggest fears, plus, he felt supported by his Dad. We saw the good in Marvin until he could see it for himself. We knew from the start what a genuine, fine young man he is, and what an asset he'll bring to our communities.
Rebecca E. Clark M.S. Ed.
Dearborn Park Elementary