An Inspiring Story: The Day the Teacher Cried

Mary's book can be purchased via Amazon.

Yesterday our students participated in our school system's Just Like Me program, a program that introduces students to learning/physical challenges over a series of interactive learning experiences in third and fourth grade. During Just Like Me students learn about challenges related to vision/hearing loss, physical limitations, cognitive challenge/delay, learning variability, and the autism spectrum. The program develops students' empathy and understanding in age appropriate ways.

Yesterday students learned about learning variability. One of our school's teaching assistants, Mary Davis, joined the class. During the session, Mary mentioned to me that her book, The Day the Teacher Cried, is a perfect match the the session. Remembering her wonderful story, I asked her to read it to the class.  I had heard Mary read a paper draft a couple of years ago.

A few hours later, Mary came back to our class to read the story. Since that first draft, Mary had revised and published the book. Another colleague's daughter, Emilia Soeltz, illustrated the book. As Mary read the story, I watched the children. They were mesmerized by the story of a young boy facing a learning challenge and specialized help for the first time. I could see Mary's twenty-years of caring experience working with young children in the story as the sensitive tale unfolded and the main character, Corey,  is inspired by his dad's own story of learning challenge, denial, and help. As I listened to the carefully crafted story,  I too was mesmerized as I remembered the pain many of my relatives experienced as they navigated school with learning challenges at a time when there was little understanding and few supports.

Emilia's illustrations capture the mood and movement of the story perfectly. Each illustration
emphasizes the important action as the story continues.  I noticed that many of my classroom artists were inspired by the fact that Emilia, a high school student, had illustrated all those wonderful pictures. I'm sure I'll see Emilia's impact as students' craft narratives during the next couple of months.

At the end of the story, a young boy in my class remarked that the story was much like his own story, and he went on to tell about the ways his father uses his own learning experiences to inspire and encourage him. I asked the boy if he wanted to take the book home to read to his father, and he responded, "Yes, please."

Mary's story not only inspired students to seek and embrace the help they need when it comes to learning well, but she also inspired the student/teacher writers in the class as the story and author are wonderful examples of the writing process.  Further, her book is evidence of a dream realized, and the revision, research, collaboration and share that typically make our dreams a reality. Mary's share was an inspiring model of learning for all the children and teachers in the room.

As we focus on the many ways to build community, empathy, and understanding in schools today, I recommend that you purchase a copy of Mary's book--a book that will inspire the children you teach and care for. And if you teach, work or live in or near Wayland, MA, you may even be able to convince Mary to visit your classroom, school, or bookstore for an author visit.