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Jun 16, 2008
"Education is too important to be left solely to the educators." --Francis Keppel
The 12-Year-Old Teacher
At a recent tutoring session, Michael moved between the laptops used by shelter residents Alicia Lewis and Heaven Sanders, both 7. He coached them for 30 minutes on typing their names, then switched to a half hour of vocabulary and math games. "Michael, I'm lost," Heaven said, resting her face on her hands. He quickly went to her computer and punched the "load" button on the keyboard to get the software working. Another student in distress, another rescue. But Michael is not just another teacher. He is 12, a sixth-grader who can't drive, vote or write much with a pencil, but he started a nonprofit when he was 11 and teaches computer skills to elementary students once a week. He doesn't regard his dysgraphia, a learning disorder that severely impairs writing, as a disability. Instead, he has turned it into a driving force.
BE THE CHANGE
If you are reading this email, chances are that you are internet-capable. If you can think of someone who does not have that ability (or some other skill you have), teach them this week.
