At Buena Vista Seventh-day Adventist School in Auburn, Washington, first grade teacher Amber Nelson noticed one of her students was feeling down. She asked what was wrong.
The little girl looked up with a frown and described her recent eye exam. The doctor said she needed glasses. The little girl was devastated and was convinced she would forever be “ugly.”
Without missing a beat, Nelson enlisted the help of her class to console this young scholar. She helped them all know God has created each one of them uniquely. A pair of glasses wasn’t going to lessen their value as a son or daughter of God.
Soon, the girl's classmates were even gathering for a photo wearing both real and pretend glasses.
In an instant, the student went from feeling insignificant to feeling like she mattered.
School is all about readin’, writin’ and ‘rithmatic — the 3 R’s, the foundational bricks of a child’s learning. Yet the mortar that holds it all together are the intangibles: the teachable moments provided by skilled and caring practitioners called teachers.
Teachers help students see with new eyes when faced with small and large challenges of life.
