Student of the Month: April 2011

I could tell you that I selected Abi Laub as my student of the month because she is a great student, meticulous and conscientious, who always makes every effort to finish assignments and turn them in on time.

I could tell you that I know some of the stuff we do doesn’t always come easily or naturally to her, and she sometimes has to struggle to complete the assignments…but she does so without complaint, recognizing that the bar is set high for a reason and she will be a better person for having cleared it.

I could tell you that I selected her because she is the portrait of excellent citizenship, a student that literally never steps out of line or does anything remotely inappropriate, yet she participates willingly and often whenever the opportunity arises.

I could tell you that I selected her because she gets along so well with her classmates…or because she is very respectful of her teachers…or because she has an infectiously positive attitude.

I could tell you all that, and it would all be true.

But the thing that sealed the deal for me this month is that I realized Abi Laub is the most unfailingly polite student I have ever taught. In a world where it is almost considered cool for teenagers to be distant and disaffected, Abi says hello to me when she walks in my room, and she says thanks when she leaves. If it is a Friday, she will tell me to have a nice weekend. How simple is that? Yet she is one of the only students who does it, and certainly the only one who does it EVERY TIME.

I consider it high praise to be recognized by her simple kindnesses, and in return I offer her this Student of the Month recognition, which she deserves for so many reasons!