Fourth.

I sat down at a parent conference today. The student has struggled academically throughout her entire school career. But, her biggest struggle has been with her peers. She constantly worries about what others think, instead of working on improving herself. And, her friends are hard on her. Hard. They treat her poorly, no matter how much loyalty she shows. Part way through this year, there was a change.

So, at her conference, in front of her mom, we talked about this change. She told me that she really likes to write. We talked about her future in fifth grade. I told her that I wanted her to select her friends very carefully. I mentioned that I had noticed she was caring more about herself. That she was seeing herself as a person of great value. I told her how I felt about her, and how I felt when I saw her doing kind things for her sibling. I enumerated all of the times that I had seen her doing good deeds, when she thought that no one was watching.

Then, came the tears. Sobs, actually. Great big, racking sobs. I had never seen anyone cry like that at school. It made me start crying, and her mom joined in.

It's easy to let others take the lead, and tell you who you are. But, what do they know? It's important for you to know who you are, and what you stand for. Fourth grade is a good year for this. I enjoy my classes each year, and I treasure the lessons that I learn while surrounded by nine and ten year olds.