Our Stories of Impact
My Story
It was the morning before the last day of school. I had twenty more minutes of prep time before the bell rang and thirty energetic fifth-graders would be entering our classroom. As I checked off tasks on my to-do list, there was a knock at the door. A teacher was standing with one of my students. He had clearly been crying. “Can he hang out here until school starts?” she asked. “Of course!” I responded. “Let’s sit down for a minute.”
To this day, this student remains one the most resilient people I have ever met. He had experienced more hurt and pain in his life up to this point than most people encounter in a lifetime. Through it all, he remained hopeful and empathetic. He was the student who made me question my professional choice, but also inspired me to get out of bed in the morning. And at the end of the year, this sweetheart was quietly sobbing, head on his desk, because the school year was ending, and he was losing a significant source of security.
The end of the year feels bittersweet. We are ready for a much-deserved break, but we are not ready to let go. So often we want to fix all the problems – all the brokenness, pain, and traumatic memories. We feel like it’s our job to create this type of impact. In that moment with my hurting student, I couldn’t fix it. I couldn’t take his worries or sadness away. But I could sit with him, empathize, and give him a hug. And now I look back on this day and wonder if that was the most meaningful impact of all.
Your Story
What is your story of impact? On this Thursday, I invite you to take a few moments to recall an impactful moment with a student. It may be simple, like mine. One without surprising solutions or dramatic dialogue. Or it may involve a student contacting you years later, explaining how thankful they are for your influence on your life. Whatever the case may be, sit with this memory today. May it uplift and fuel you for the days and weeks ahead as you continue to leave a lasting impact at the end of this school year.
