Being an educator, I have a high respect for social workers. Where we at the secondary level (high school) deal with the best, the worst, and everything in between, social workers get to deal with a lot of the worst, be they troublemakers or victims (or both). Their jobs, I've also noticed, don't usually end when they clock out for the day.
NPR recently reported on New York social worker Julio Diaz who, when mugged on a subway platform by a knife-wielding teenager, not only surrendered his wallet but also volunteered his coat and a meal. The two went to a diner and ate, and talked, and at the end of the meal Diaz told the youth that he'd have to pay the bill, as he no longer had his wallet. In the end, Diaz walked away with his wallet, his coat, and the boy's knife; the teen walked away with twenty bucks and another chance (perhaps with a better perspective). Said Diaz, "I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right. It's as simple as it gets in this complicated world."
These are the things we can't do in the classroom, but these ARE the things that anyone can do. Kudos, Mr. Diaz.
Helpful hints, position essays, and useless blather from the Assistant Principal of a high school in Southern California. Posts here do not necessarily reflect the positions or views of the school or district with which he is employed.
So there.
So there.
