My HERO

Teaching Blog...
Yesterday during our Language lesson we were talking about what is a hero? Good ideas where shared throughout the classroom. Many of them were about super heros and video game heros. WEll I thought, we've got a lot of work to do. This is someone you actually look up to and want to become. A hero not only saves you, but then inspires you to live better than you do. Now, the age range that I have in my classroom is large. I have a 2nd grader up to a 7th grader with 4 and 5th grade peppered in between. I have the opportutnity to have many ideas and maturity levels. I also have the opportunity to teach social strengths and how to interact with people.
Well, after calling on a few more students I had one student say that "My dad is my hero." When I asked him why he said, "because he loves me." He didn't clarify my old dad or my new dad, my step dad, or anything like that. He simply said. My Dad.
That was powerful. I know this student's family. I know the personal situation that has happened in this young man's life--with his biofather. I know that his mother is getting remarried. He without hesitation said that it is his dad (meaning his new dad). My paraprofessional and I just winked at each other. I thought to myself this is a kid that understands what love is. This is a young man who will now have someone to look up to and be that hero. It was a day that I'll never forget.