This week I saw how easy it is to be a positive motivating factor in a child’s pursuit of knowledge. A couple weeks ago when a student came in and I noticed he had performed poorly on a spelling test the week before, receiving an “F”, I asked him about it, and his mother, who was still there rolled her eyes in frustration. I mentioned to the student that if he got an “A” on his spelling test that week, I would let him take something from our “treasure chest”. I did not see him last week after he took his test, but he came running in on Monday with his test in hand and a big smile on his face! He had earned an “A”! He was so excited to take something from the treasure chest! Of course, the mom was very happy as well, and by the look on her face very relieved. It is great to be even a small positive motivating factor in a student’s academic experience! I informed him that from now on, if he gets an “A” on his spelling test, he will be allowed to take something from the treasure chest. I hope this continues to be a motivating factor for him, and eventually, the joy of earning goods grades will motivate him even more.
Since I’ve been subbing a bit more this week, and around the school, I’ve had a few conversations with teachers of students that attend LIST. They have all commented on how the student has improved in math and/or reading. It has been a great encouragement to hear not only from the students and their parents but also the teachers as well.
On a more business like note, if any of you have your Albertson’s club cards registered through Albertson’s to donate money to us, they contacted me this week to inform me that all of our supporters need to re-register their cards online. Please go to http://www.albertsons.com/cp/ to register you cards again. For more instructions, go to www.listhelps.org and click on the “Support LIST by Shopping” tab. Thanks for your support!
Finally, if you live in the Los Angeles area, don’t forget about our upcoming fund raiser, “Laugh With kids, not At Them” on March 6th. Mark your calendar’s; we’d love to have you join us!
