On School #28 Lily – A Blooming Flower

                           

                                   Lily – A Blooming Flower
           (reposted from Donna O'Donnell Figurski's Blog)

Lily was one of my first blooming flowers. I’ve had many flowers since my teaching career began in the early 1980s, but Lily was my first. She didn’t bloom right away, and I admit I was worried about her.

I was lucky to teach Lily in both 1st and 3rd grades. She had a quiet way about herself, and her studies did not come easily to her. But what I loved most about Lily was that she never stopped trying. She never gave up. Each day she would sit at her desk and focus on her work. She worked hard, even though it didn’t seem as if she were getting very far. Lily moved into 2nd grade; and I kept a wary eye on her, until she landed in my 3rd grade class.

Her work pattern continued. She plugged away at math and reading, science and social studies, English …, and a handful of other classes. It wasn’t until near the end of 3rd grade that she began to bloom. And bloom she did! In April!

As a little bud opens slowly to form a beautiful flower, so did Lily. For years, until she left for high school, Lily proudly shared her report card with me each term. “Look! Another ‘A’!” she’d say.

                                               I’m so proud of you, Lily.

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In Be Real: Educate from the Heart by Tara Martin, Tara asked, "When you think of determination, what child comes to your mind?

You guessed it. That would be Lily!

(Clipart compliments of Bing.com.)

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