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Youngster's comeback is one for the booksBy LOGAN NEILL © St. Petersburg Times, published March 22, 2001 It is certainly every educator's wish to see all of his or her pupils reach their highest potential. The reality is, of course, it doesn't always happen. Teachers know that failure in school can be the result of a variety of factors, everything from troubles at home to peer pressure to a learning disability. Floyd Elementary math teacher Amy King didn't suspect that any of those contributed to Zachary Lamb's problems last year. To her, he seemed like a pretty typical 8-year-old: bright, happy, maybe a little precocious. But for whatever reason, Zach never adjusted well to the daily routine of third-grade learning. Not long into the school year, he began to get in trouble in class. He often fought with classmates and argued with teachers, which resulted in numerous trips to the principal's office. Not surprisingly, his schoolwork began to slide. He had trouble finishing assignments and seemed not to care if he was earning C's and D's in subjects in which his teacher thought he should be earning A's and B's. "His mother was very frustrated because Zach had always liked school, and she didn't know why he was having so much trouble," King said. Knowing that she would be having Zach for two more years on her Project Child team, King decided to sit down and have a talk before school let out for the summer. That discussion gave King a little more insight into her student's difficulties. She discovered that he was having trouble reading at grade level, which made it hard to keep up with his class. His frustrations, she thought, were a large part of Zach's discipline troubles. King promised Zach that if he put effort into his schoolwork, she would make certain he got the help he needed. A year later, the 9-year-old has made a huge turnaround. His behavior is exemplary, and he's now getting the kind of grades his teachers always thought he was capable of. "School is more fun when you're not getting in trouble all the time," Zach said. Dressed in a Floyd Elementary T-shirt that sports the slogan "Attitude Determines Altitude," the fourth-grader admits he is not the same kid he was last year. He credits a lot of the change to listening to people around him who cared for his well-being. "I knew I wasn't trying hard enough, but I guess I was being dumb," Zach said. "I'm glad that I'm not like that anymore." These days, privileges come more easily to a young man who knows he has earned them. Recently, Zach was invited to join the school's Solid Citizen Society, a club that rewards hard-working students with special assemblies. "He's one of those kids who has put forth some real effort to make his life better," said Floyd Elementary guidance counselor Janie McAlpine. "He realized that he has a desire to learn and be part of the school. He'll be the first to tell you that it's better to go through life with a positive outlook than with a negative one." NAME: Zachary LambAGE: 9 SCHOOL: J.D. Floyd Elementary PARENTS: Peter and Kathy Lamb FAVORITE SUBJECT: Math HOBBIES: Basketball and football
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From today's Hernando Times |
