Z

I was giving a series of lessons to a first grade class. At the first one, Z came up to me and asked how he could meet a Bengals player as he wanted to be a pro football player. I gave him a few suggestions, and he asked me to write them down for his mother. Which I did.

The next week I asked about the note. His mother lost it.  (Maybe, I thought.) Would I write another? I did. No word on that one.

As the lessons went on, I learned that Z was probably ADD, was often in trouble, but was very bright. His drawing and narrative skills were noticeably above those of other students in class. His teacher knew all of us this, but she had to teach responsibly for all of her students.  Z’s family was in turmoil, probably a divorce, and mother had no car.

What will happen to Z? Will he be able to reach his potential? Will he struggle through his education as constantly in trouble, a disruption? How many students are like Z in one form or another? How much human potential just gets wasted because we can’t muster the resources?