By cutting letters out of sandpaper and letting him touch them, as well as designing exercises in which he could draw the letters in the sand, she was able to reach him and eventually he connected with the letters, and became a strong reader. Last year when her charter school was brand new, Gonzalez drew no salary for herself, though she took one this year. The look that comes across a child's face when they understand what you're trying to teach - that's worth everything. When I work with them, I make sure that the last thing they do is a success. A good teacher knows that every individual is valuable and that every one is unique.
Expectations drive performance.