Take the Shot
Take the Shot
They Called them “Thugs.” I call them Writers.
As teachers, we’re not supposed to have favorites. But come on, we’re only human. Some of us like a challenge.
When my sister asked me to help her in her middle school classroom, I had no idea we would be sent out to a rusty old trailer next to the football field.
Her protective friends were horrified. She was ill—that was the reason I was there in the first place. To look out for her and keep her safe—but they still fussed.
“Those kids are thugs. She shouldn’t be out there.”
Lizzie ignored them and kept on walking.
When pressed, I told the other teachers not to worry. “Thugs are our favorite peeps.”
Some years earlier, I had created a writing program adopted by the federal government for kids K–12. I taught in an alternative school, where students were adjudicated, meaning they were too messed up to attend regular high school. Many already had criminal records. Because of my experience there, Lizzie’s principal told me to get my certification— he was happy to accommodate her needs.
But life has a way of shifting the ground beneath you. When a new principal came on board, he did not share my vision. He tormented me (and I tormented him) for a year. In front of my colleagues, he derided me.
“It’s very hard to work with these people from California.”
I’m from New Jersey.
Kids can only learn if they feel safe and valued. I tried to explain that it takes more time, yes—but it also takes a gentle hand.
“You’re not their friend,” he said.
Oh yes, I am.
Some of these kids never had a chance. I can’t share their stories—they’re private, and too sad—but I can tell you this:
Malia wrote an essay about getting a job and putting a family together. She called it Things Turned Out Better Than I Expected.
Neal wrote The Last Game, about tossing a ball with his now-deceased father.
One of my favorites was Take the Shot, about a boy who dreams of becoming a doctor. He’s small. Not an athlete. One day he finds himself holding a basketball in front of the entire school, with the chance to win the game for his team. He takes the shot, and you can imagine what happens.
“You can’t save them all,” the principal said.
But I can take the shot.
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Life is Change. The seasons come and go, children grow up, and new generations come. Elevate your story by acknowledging the passage of time.