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she’s a slow reader,
she told me so herself
at the start of the year.
quiet as a prayer
deliberate in her actions
aloof in disposition.
it seems one of the
louder more insecure
boys was putting her down
to lift himself up
in that ever so charming
masculine way
that boys use
to cover the holes
they can’t explain
in their egos.

her austere manner
best not be confused
with fragility.
she’s tough
this one
in her unflustered way.
steady like a metronome
one page at a time
one book at a time

thinking.
growing.
learning.

“i was really impressed
by your fast draft
pre-assessment essay.
you really got to the heart
of the book and articulated
your thoughts on theme clearly.”

she rarely smiles
her body language
seldom described
as secure.

but all it took
was a dab of attention,
a compliment,
a whisper in class,
a gentle reminder,
a reflection she may have missed
of who she really is
when none of us are watching.

we teachers
build and breakdown
kids in the subtlest ways.

here is another reader
in the making.