Louise and the Head=Banger

Louise never gave up on Robert. He was a head-banger, a chair thrower, a reluctant pupil in ever respect. If you told Robert to open a book he would close it. If you told him to close it he would open. That boy had problems for sure. The last teacher he had would sit in the staffroom in despair, head on hands and just say to us, “He’ll be in jail before he’s eighteen, I know it.” All her best efforts had failed. The psychologist had seen him, he was receiving special education services but he still managed to defeat every teacher he encountered until he met Louise. This is a true story, a story of tough love, commitment in the classroom, straight talk and hard work. I knew Robert for ten years; I saw the hard miracle Louise created. This is its story.

Louise was in her 34th year of teaching primary school. She had given her life to children. She was a single woman who had no children of her own but “had” hundreds of other people’s children, if you know what I mean. She was a teacher of singular gifts, had moved with the times. When she began teaching it was all “Open the book to page 125 and read the questions. Then write the answers in your workbook. Work quietly children!” Over the years the curriculum became more child-centred and activity based. Louise didn’t always agree with what she was required to do but she always did it. For Louise teaching was a true vocation and she trusted the judgement of the people who wrote the curriculum. But it was the change to activity based learning that created the most problems for her and Robert.

Robert had no stress tolerance at all. If things didn’t go his way he would bang his head on the wall, throw a chair, and say nasty things to other children. A lot of people wanted Robert out of the school. Louise vowed to one and all she would change that boy if it killed her. The first thing she did was to ring his mother. Louise didn’t give out about Robert, she simply said that she was going to turn him around, that she would be hard on him, never let up, not let even the slightest thing pass her by. Robert’s mother was sceptical; she had a rough life herself and had never received a phone call about Robert that wasn’t full of complaints. This was a first and she decided to trust. She told Louise, “Do what you have to do.”

The second thing Louise did was take Robert aside and tell him the truth, “If you don’t learn to control yourself you will never have friends, never get a job and live an unhappy life. Do you want my help?” I’m sure you know the answer; Robert said he didn’t need help, it wasn’t his fault. Louise just said she believed he needed her help and that he was going to get it no matter what it took. She told him she wouldn’t put him out of her room as long as he didn’t hurt anyone, that she would teach him to behave if it killed her (Yes, those where her words, I was in the room when she said it.) He just rolled his eyes and slumped back into his chair. That was the beginning of a year-long struggle between Louise and Robert.

For months at a time Louise watched Robert’s every move. If he lifted a pencil when he wasn’t supposed to, she was on him like a fury. If he looked out the window when she was giving instructions she scolded him. But she wasn’t always cross. Louise was careful to notice the small things Robert did that were helpful or appropriate in the classroom. If Robert didn’t shout out an answer she thanked him. If he didn’t lose his temper she congratulated him. If he banged his head against the wall she new he was in terrible distress and she comforted him. Over and over, month after month Louise never gave up, never let up. She caught him being bad and she caught him being good. She kept in regular contact with his mother, telling him that slow progress was being made. Louise was Robert’s 6th class teacher and he was leaving primary school that year. Louise brought Robert to his secondary school, gave him a personal tour, introduced him to some teachers she knew. She told everyone that Robert was a boy of great potential, a boy who was making good progress. She never spoke about his problems.

Robert finished school that year a changed boy. He was certainly no angel, he still had learning difficulties and he could be stubborn at times. But the head banging was gone, the name calling disappeared, he was generally cooperative with her and his mother reported great improvement at home. Robert looked brighter and more cheerful at the end of the year.

A lot of teachers still doubted he would ever be a success but Louise was as stubborn as Robert in never listening to their voices of lost hope.

I met Robert again during his final year of secondary school. Louise had long since retired to her home in the countryside. I asked Robert if he remembered her. “Oh yes, I sure do. She was the toughest teacher I ever had. She was at me constantly. Never gave me an inch. She saved my life. What ever became of her? I’m entering college in September, if you see her let her know.”