Annmarie is a teacher, and a mother of two. Her son is a freshman at the University of Florida, and her daughter, the subject of this piece, is a senior in nursing school at FGCU. She writes of a mother's love and appreciation for the accomplishments of her children. I cherish her.
Maybe the World Needs More Average People
by Annmarie Ferry
As she glanced down at the test score report from the previous year, she delivered the sobering news: “Alyssa is solidly where she needs to be.” This report would have been welcomed by many parents, so why did I feel a certain amount of disappointment and maybe even embarrassment? How was it possible that my brilliant soon-to-be second grade child who had better conversational skills at two than some adults I know just be “average?" As I nodded my head and thanked the principal when she assured me that “This is a good thing,” inside I was thinking, “Yeah, right. You’re basically telling me that academically, this kid is nothing to brag about.”
Each year, the tests pretty much told the same story. She always nailed the score she needed to, but rarely got out of that danger zone that now would have earned her the distinct recognition as a “bubble” kid. These average students generally pass the state and district assessments, but just barely, and are at risk of falling below the clear-cut line of proficiency. I won’t bore you with her grades, her infrequent struggles, or her FCAT scores, but suffice it to say, this kid turned out to be anything but average.
I wasn’t an educator when that elementary principal sat me down to discuss the test results. That career choice happened many years later. Had I been, I would have realized how lucky I really was to have a child who was a solid average. As an educator who teaches students with learning disabilities, I know that many parents would have jumped for joy and hugged that kind principal who assured them that their child was solidly where he/she needed to be.
Fast-forward eleven years. I have a daughter who ended up exceeding expectations that test results set for her. She graduated high school with a 3.8 GPA, and is currently rocking almost all A’s (darn that one B+ in Biology) at our local university. She earned her CNA license through our high school’s Medical Academy, and is working two 12-hour night shifts at a hospital every weekend to gain experience in the nursing field. She has received many accolades at work, and all the nurses on her floor beg to have her as their assistant. I would have been thrilled if she had just set her sights on getting her bachelor’s in Nursing and become an RN, but this kid is hell-bent on earning her doctorate to become a Nurse Practitioner.
This “average” child learned early on that she was going to have to work hard to excel in higher-level courses, and work hard she did. Her accomplishments are truly a result of her tenacity, her desire to learn, and her will to succeed. I’m not saying we didn’t have some glitches academically and behaviorally along the way, but Alyssa overcame every obstacle, whether naturally occurring or self-induced, and has become the kind of person I am happy to unleash upon the world.
Maybe that is what this world really needs: more average people doing extraordinary things.
As she glanced down at the test score report from the previous year, she delivered the sobering news: “Alyssa is solidly where she needs to be.” This report would have been welcomed by many parents, so why did I feel a certain amount of disappointment and maybe even embarrassment? How was it possible that my brilliant soon-to-be second grade child who had better conversational skills at two than some adults I know just be “average?" As I nodded my head and thanked the principal when she assured me that “This is a good thing,” inside I was thinking, “Yeah, right. You’re basically telling me that academically, this kid is nothing to brag about.”
Each year, the tests pretty much told the same story. She always nailed the score she needed to, but rarely got out of that danger zone that now would have earned her the distinct recognition as a “bubble” kid. These average students generally pass the state and district assessments, but just barely, and are at risk of falling below the clear-cut line of proficiency. I won’t bore you with her grades, her infrequent struggles, or her FCAT scores, but suffice it to say, this kid turned out to be anything but average.
I wasn’t an educator when that elementary principal sat me down to discuss the test results. That career choice happened many years later. Had I been, I would have realized how lucky I really was to have a child who was a solid average. As an educator who teaches students with learning disabilities, I know that many parents would have jumped for joy and hugged that kind principal who assured them that their child was solidly where he/she needed to be.
This “average” child learned early on that she was going to have to work hard to excel in higher-level courses, and work hard she did. Her accomplishments are truly a result of her tenacity, her desire to learn, and her will to succeed. I’m not saying we didn’t have some glitches academically and behaviorally along the way, but Alyssa overcame every obstacle, whether naturally occurring or self-induced, and has become the kind of person I am happy to unleash upon the world.
Maybe that is what this world really needs: more average people doing extraordinary things.
Omg! It's like you were writing about Kali at the same time! This is exactly how I feel. With tears forming it was tough to read the last 2 paragraphs. If it wasn't for you and your encouragement over the past few years, I would have though there is something wrong with her. The constant struggles of being average on tests but having almost straight A's (damn that B in Chemistry) in high school. I've come to realize that THOSE tests don't mean squat! She's learning and proving so all year long! Great piece Annemarie! Great piece!
ReplyDeleteThanks Denise! Kali is so special--always so positive and hard-working. I am so blessed to have both of you in my life and can't wait to see what she does!
DeleteThanks for reading, Denise :)
ReplyDelete