Jo's New Teacher
Children's Story
When Jesus meets the woman by the well, he doesn't see an enemy of the state or a glorified prostitute or a mere woman, he sees a person with great potential. Today's story is about Joanne, whose self-respect and love of life is restored when somebody sees through the outward appearances to the real her inside.
Joanne was sitting by herself on the swing in the children's playground, scuffing her toe in the dust. She mostly sat here in the evenings after school, until she thought her Dad would be home from work. Then she'd go home.
Joanne was miserable. She hated school and she hated life, and she knew everybody hated her. It hadn't always been like this. When Joanne's Mum was alive, Joanne had been the happiest and nicest person in the world. She'd always been in the top group at school, with lots of friends, and school had been brilliant.
That was before her Mum had died. After that, Joanne couldn't concentrate. Her grades had slipped, and she'd fallen further and further behind in her school work. So she'd given up even trying. It didn't seem worth it, especially when there was no-one at home to say, "Well done!" Joanne's Dad was great, but he'd been knocked sideways by his wife's death, and he had to work long hours. And he didn't really understand about Jo. He'd just mutter vaguely, "Do your best. No-one can do more than their best." Then he'd bury himself in the newspaper or in front of the television.
When Jo found herself in the lowest group at school, she started to act like all the other people in that group. She became sullen and resentful, and played up in class whenever she could. She soon became known as a "difficult child" in the staff room at school, and she found that reputation followed her into each new class.
Now she had a new teacher who had only appeared in school that week, but Jo had already come up against her. Jo had answered back and done her best to make life miserable for Miss Browne, who was young and vulnerable.
So Jo sat swinging gently and scuffing her foot in the dust, hating everything. Just then, Miss Browne walked through the playground. Jo turned her back. She was out of school now, so nobody could make her talk. She expected Miss Browne to give her a wide berth and disappear towards the bus stop, but to her annoyance Miss Browne came straight over to where she was sitting, and sat herself down on the next swing.
"Hello Jo," she said.
Jo scowled, and turned even further away from her. Miss Browne sat for a while without speaking. Then she said gently, "Jo, what's the matter? You look really sad."
It was a very unexpected comment. To Jo's horror, she felt her eyes fill up with tears. Before she knew what was happening, the tears had spilled over, all down her face and her front. And once they started, the tears simply wouldn't stop. Jo cried and cried and cried. After a while, she became aware that Miss Browne had put her arms around her, and she was crying into Miss Browne's jacket.
Miss Browne didn't say a word until Jo sniffed and pulled away. Then Miss Browne handed her a tissue, and said, "Do you want to talk about it?" Jo found she did want to talk about it, and the words began to pour out of her, all about that terrible time of her mother's death, and falling behind in class, and having no friends.
Miss Browne listened quietly, then said she'd help Jo catch up, if that was what Jo wanted. Jo found she did want that, very much.
After that, Jo got to know Miss Browne really well. She'd stay behind two or three nights a week, and help Jo with her school work. As Jo's grades improved, so did her feeling about herself, and when she moved back into the top three, Jo suddenly realised she hadn't been disruptive for two whole terms.
Thanks to Miss Browne, life began to be worth living again. And when Jo's Dad brought home a lovely new girl friend who might one day become Jo's stepmother, Jo knew her happiness was for ever.
Joanne was sitting by herself on the swing in the children's playground, scuffing her toe in the dust. She mostly sat here in the evenings after school, until she thought her Dad would be home from work. Then she'd go home.
Joanne was miserable. She hated school and she hated life, and she knew everybody hated her. It hadn't always been like this. When Joanne's Mum was alive, Joanne had been the happiest and nicest person in the world. She'd always been in the top group at school, with lots of friends, and school had been brilliant.
That was before her Mum had died. After that, Joanne couldn't concentrate. Her grades had slipped, and she'd fallen further and further behind in her school work. So she'd given up even trying. It didn't seem worth it, especially when there was no-one at home to say, "Well done!" Joanne's Dad was great, but he'd been knocked sideways by his wife's death, and he had to work long hours. And he didn't really understand about Jo. He'd just mutter vaguely, "Do your best. No-one can do more than their best." Then he'd bury himself in the newspaper or in front of the television.
When Jo found herself in the lowest group at school, she started to act like all the other people in that group. She became sullen and resentful, and played up in class whenever she could. She soon became known as a "difficult child" in the staff room at school, and she found that reputation followed her into each new class.
Now she had a new teacher who had only appeared in school that week, but Jo had already come up against her. Jo had answered back and done her best to make life miserable for Miss Browne, who was young and vulnerable.
So Jo sat swinging gently and scuffing her foot in the dust, hating everything. Just then, Miss Browne walked through the playground. Jo turned her back. She was out of school now, so nobody could make her talk. She expected Miss Browne to give her a wide berth and disappear towards the bus stop, but to her annoyance Miss Browne came straight over to where she was sitting, and sat herself down on the next swing.
"Hello Jo," she said.
Jo scowled, and turned even further away from her. Miss Browne sat for a while without speaking. Then she said gently, "Jo, what's the matter? You look really sad."
It was a very unexpected comment. To Jo's horror, she felt her eyes fill up with tears. Before she knew what was happening, the tears had spilled over, all down her face and her front. And once they started, the tears simply wouldn't stop. Jo cried and cried and cried. After a while, she became aware that Miss Browne had put her arms around her, and she was crying into Miss Browne's jacket.
Miss Browne didn't say a word until Jo sniffed and pulled away. Then Miss Browne handed her a tissue, and said, "Do you want to talk about it?" Jo found she did want to talk about it, and the words began to pour out of her, all about that terrible time of her mother's death, and falling behind in class, and having no friends.
Miss Browne listened quietly, then said she'd help Jo catch up, if that was what Jo wanted. Jo found she did want that, very much.
After that, Jo got to know Miss Browne really well. She'd stay behind two or three nights a week, and help Jo with her school work. As Jo's grades improved, so did her feeling about herself, and when she moved back into the top three, Jo suddenly realised she hadn't been disruptive for two whole terms.
Thanks to Miss Browne, life began to be worth living again. And when Jo's Dad brought home a lovely new girl friend who might one day become Jo's stepmother, Jo knew her happiness was for ever.
