on giving up

When students begin working with me they are often a long way down the road of failure, and very close to giving up. They have faced insurmountable challenges in a system designed to thwart them at every turn. They have spent years being tested, measured, compared, and constantly found wanting. Never quite good enough to meet the grade. The idea of spending even one hour a week doing something they hate with someone they don't know or trust, is enough to make them run for the hills, literally and figuratively! 

I invest a large portion of my time with each child, in building trust. I am not an adversary, but a compassionate friend. It takes a while before they start to believe it. Before they understand that they will want to give up way before I will. That giving up is just not an option for me. Because I believe that every child has the chance to succeed with just ONE MORE TRY. And I want to be there when it happens.