We need more teachers like this.
In the mean, violent world we live in today where awful things happen all the time, it’s comforting to see people being kinder to others.
To solve the problems we have with people we just need to communicate and try to understand each other a little better, and one woman who is being praised for her kindness is a teacher in the UK.
Ruth Clarkson, an assistant teacher at Lansbury Bridge school, is being commended by the mother of a boy with autism. Gail Twist, mother to 11-year-old Ben Twist, has shared a letter that Mrs Clarkson wrote to the Twist family after Ben failed his SAT exams but her sensitivity and kindness in understanding Ben’s condition has gained serious viral attention.
Mrs Clarkson wrote a moving letter to Ben, explaining that tests don’t entirely matter and that Ben holds other extraordinary skills and talents other than exam-taking.
In tears. A letter to my 11 yr old autistic son from his school. “These tests only measure a little bit of you” pic.twitter.com/e9OPECidxX
— Gail Twist (@gailtwist) July 9, 2016
The letter in full reads:
“Dear Ben,
“I am writing to you to congratulate you on your attitude and success in completing your end of key stage SATs. Gil, Lynn, Angela, Steph, and Anne have worked so well with you this year and you have made some fabulous progress. I have written to you and your parents to tell you the results of these tests.
“A very important piece of information I want you to understand is that these tests only measure a little bit of you and your abilities. They are important and you have done so well but Ben Twist is made up of many other skills and talents that we at Lansbury Bridge see and measure in other ways.”
“Other talents you have that these tests do not measure include
- Your artistic talents
- Your ability to work in a team
- Your growing independence
- Your kindness
- Your ability to express your opinion
- Your abilities in sport
- Your ability to make and keep friends
- Your ability to discuss and evaluate your own progress
- Your design and building talents
“We are so pleased that all of these different talents and abilities make you the special person you are and these are all of the things we measure to reassure us that you are always making progress and continuing to develop as a lovely bright young man. Well done Ben, we are very proud of you.”
What an incredible, understanding woman. If we had more teachers like this the world would be a much, much better place.
