ONe on One

This one student touches my heart, she is ridiculously rude, she is always in trouble, usually getting suspended.  But I do not want to give up on her like the others.  I sat her down and spoke to her and told her to be honest with me.  I told her that when I look at her I see me, I see potential in her and why will she not let it shine.  She put her head down, I said what do you like about school, she said IDK.  I told her to be honest with me, she told me she liked socializing, nothing else appealed to her.  I asked her what were her goals and aspirations, she wants to be a counselor.  I then said I am not sure but can counselors have jail records, can they be fighters, in which she looked up at me with a bashful face and said no.  I told her she was smart and stayed on top of her in class, I spoke to her like the human she was.  I watched her blossom, she has moved up in her English class from behavior to AP and I feel like a proud mommy.  I watched her behavior transform.  She is currently upset that I am leaving, I do not want to give up on her.  I want to stay connected with her because I can see how she is capable of great things, she just needs someone else to believe in her.... and I do!