Translated…
While I was playing ball at the gymnasium, a student talked to me, he said, “Hey, what kind of a school principal are you? This gym is so worn out and old, don’t you know to get someone to fix it up?”, after he was done, he had that look of pride on his face.
Back at the moment, I felt angered, and instinctively felt, that he was, a problem student, that this was NOT an isolated incident. And so, I’d tried to get to know him, through his teacher, as well as the school’s disciplinary official.
“Principal, my apologies, this student is someone who was placed here, because of a learning disorder, please be more tolerant him.” The home room instructor told me, with embarrassment. And his school counselor also told, “Principal, I will have him apologize to you, this, is truly awful of him.”
And so, I’d met, “Ikkyu”—he would often, shave his head all of a sudden, and so, his classmates nicknamed him after the young monk in the Japanese stories. At break time, Ikkyu became a dragon, but, in class, he’d become, a total worm, because he couldn’t learn at all, when the bell rang, he’d, started, falling asleep, to the point, that nobody was able to, wake him up, to the point, that he’d been, held back for the grades too.
As the start of the brand new school year, Ikkyu hung his head as he walked out of the school, after I’d chatted with him, he’d told me, that he felt embarrassed being held back a grade year. Although, this, was a price that he needed to pay, but I believe, that because of his learning disability, keeping him back a year wouldn’t resolve anything, instead, it would, become this, endless torturous, punishment, and so, I’d asked the teachers to have an organized meeting, to discuss the matter, and I’d begged, all the instructors, to do what they possibly can, to assist him. At the same time, we’d all devised an “Individualized Education Plan” for him, with the home ec instructor, have him do a poster, on what he’d learned, the disciplinary officer training him on his basic skills, math teacher, helping him with his basic math skills, and I, read through the newspapers, and reading materials with him. During the time the plan was put into practice, I felt, that Ikkyu was happier from before, and was becoming more and more receptive of other people’s opinions as well.
As I was feeling “prouder than I should be feeling”, felt, that my gentle manners of getting through to this problematic student was working, but, not long thereafter, I’d still heard him, being disrespectful even talked back to his instructor, “I know the principal very well you know!”
My kindness became a chip between how he was wagering a war with his instructor, it’d made me so upset, started thinking, that maybe, I should’ve been, harder on him at the very start, instead of devising a unique method, to help this special student, after a long time of contemplating on the matter, I’d still decided to keep up with my original methods, just that I’d needed to put in more patience, and more stamina, in educating him, including spending even more time with him, and not get tired of pointing out what he was doing wrong, when he’d done wrong, and asked him to go and apologize to his instructors, etc., etc., etc.,
Actually, I’d understand that scolding him, punishing him based off of the school’s rules, I would be able to see him admit to what he’d done wrong more quickly, but, then, I couldn’t get a clear look at what he was thinking of, when he’d hung his head, and, as he’d, stepped out of the school, the problems will continue.
One day, Ikkyu came in, for his newspaper reading lesson, in the casual conversations, he’d told me that in the evenings, he was, working, at a hotpot shop, and so, I’d asked a couple of teachers, to come along, to where he worked. And, in the end, we’d found, that this boy, upon seeing us, other than feeling that he was surprised, he was actually, very, well-mannered, with a ton of passion in helping to serve us, and, the boss’s wife had nothing BUT good things to say about him too, and that, was totally the opposite of how he’d behaved in school. At that precise moment, I’d come to realize, that every child has a unique potential, it’s just, that whether or not we’re giving them a chance, to show it; if the traditional schools can’t give him the space to shine, then, why not just, loosen up the grips, so he can, soar, high, into, another piece of skies fitted for him?
And so, this is still on the emphasis of HOW a child is smart, because, there ARE, multiple intelligence (H. Gardner, remember???), but, the problem with the current education systems all around is that they’d only focused on the students who are great test takers, those who can sit still, and listen in class, score high on their exams, and, all the rest of the other children who are also, intelligent, in different ways, simply gets, overlooked!
this, is a theory of multiple intelligence, in CHART form, found online…
Life, the Obstacle Course 