He said I "can't"

Today I had a young 7th grade scholar come up to me in the hallway and he proceeded to tell me that his math teacher had just told him that his dream of becoming a basketball player was not likely and he should set his goals on something attainable. The message my scholar heard loud and clear was, "You can't." 

My first instinct was to remember all the times I heard other teachers, including my own, tell friends and other scholars that their dreams were too lofty. Being a pro ... is out of reach and you should aim to achieve something realistic. I am more certain, now than ever before, that all those scholars heard was, "You can't." 

Speaking from the personal, local, and immediate, the scholars in my building experience far too many moments in their lives that express "You can't" messages. If I'm being even more honest, the scholars who live through multiple "You can't" moments are the ones who need to hear "You can" more than the rest. The internal motivation we hope to build in scholars may not exist for these scholars if it has been squashed by lived experiences. 

Our job as educators is first to the scholar, then to their education. 

This may mean we bypass logic and go right to the social and emotional support the scholar needs. Believe in the scholar, even if you don't believe in the dream! Moments when scholars are talking about their dreams and aspirations are the moments we can lean in and learn. If done right, these are the moments that scholars will remember years after they leave your classroom. 

So, I told the scholar no dream is too big and no goal is out of reach. I stepped out of my logic and leaned into caring and lifted his dreams up right alongside him. We don't know if he will ever achieve his "pro ball player" status, but at the time it was more important to support him no matter the size of his dream.