Some
people are just doomed to be failures. That's the way some adults look at
troubled kids. Maybe you've heard the saying, "A bird with a broken wing
will never fly as high." I'm sure that T. J. Ware was made to feel this
way almost every day in school.
By high school, T. J. was the most celebrated
troublemaker in his town. Teachers literally cringed when they saw his name
posted on their classroom lists for the next semester. He wasn't very
talkative, didn't answer questions and got into lots of fights. He had
flunked almost every class by the time he entered his senior year, yet was
being passed on each year to a higher grade level. Teachers didn't want to
have him again the following year. T. J. was moving on, but definitely not
moving up.
I met T. J. for the first time at a weekend
leadership retreat. All the students at school had been invited to sign up
for ACE training, a program designed to have students become more involved in
their communities. T. J. was one of 405 students who signed up. When I showed
up to lead their first retreat, the community leaders gave me this overview
of the attending students: "We have a total spectrum represented today,
from the student body president to T. J. Ware, the boy with the longest
arrest record in the history of town." Somehow, I knew that I wasn't the
first to hear about T. J.'s darker side as the first words of introduction.
At the start of the retreat, T. J. was literally
standing outside the circle of students, against the back wall, with that
"go ahead, impress me" look on his face. He didn't readily join the
discussion groups, didn't seem to have much to say. But slowly, the
interactive games drew him in. The ice really melted when the groups started
building a list of positive and negative things that had occurred at school
that year. T. J. had some definite thoughts on those situations. The other
students in T. J.'s group welcomed his comments. All of a sudden T. J. felt
like a part of the group, and before long he was being treated like a leader.
He was saying things that made a lot of sense, and everyone was listening. T.
J. was a smart guy, and he had some great ideas.
The next day, T. J. was very active in all the
sessions. By the end of the retreat, he had joined the Homeless Project team.
He knew something about poverty, hunger and hopelessness. The other students
on the team were impressed with his passionate concern and ideas. They
elected T. J. co-chairman of the team. The student council president would be
taking his instruction from T. J. Ware.
When T. J. showed up at school on Monday morning,
he arrived to a firestorm. A group of teachers were protesting to the school
principal about his being elected co-chairman. The very first communitywide
service project was to be a giant food drive, organized by the Homeless
Project team. These teachers couldn't believe that the principal would allow
this crucial beginning to a prestigious, three-year action plan to stay in
the incapable hands of T. J. Ware.
They reminded the principal, "He has an
arrest record as long as your arm. He'll probably steal half the food."
Mr. Coggshall reminded them that the purpose of the ACE program was to
uncover any positive passion that a student had and reinforce its practice
until true change can take place. The teachers left the meeting shaking their
heads in disgust, firmly convinced that failure was imminent.
Two weeks later, T. J. and his friends led a
group of 70 students in a drive to collect food. They collected a school
record: 2,854 cans of food in just two hours. It was enough to fill the empty
shelves in two neighborhood centers, and the food took care of needy families
in the area for 75 days. The local newspaper covered the event with a
full-page article the next day. That newspaper story was posted on the main
bulletin board at school, where everyone could see it. T. J.'s picture was up
there for doing something great, for leading a record-setting food drive.
Every day he was reminded about what he did. He was being acknowledged as
leadership material.
T.
J. started showing up at school every day and answered questions from teachers
for the first time. He led a second project, collecting 300 blankets and
1,000 pairs of shoes for the homeless shelter. The event he started now
yields 9,000 cans of food in one day, taking care of 70 percent of the need
for food for one year. T. J. reminds us that a bird with a broken wing only
needs mending. But once it has healed, it can fly higher than the rest.
T. J. got a job. He became productive. He is flying quite nicely these days.
Story by Chicken Soup for the Soul
23 comments:
It's a good idea to learn the details of anything first before making judgement.
The meaning of the story is the best one in which I never realize. It incorrect all the failures to be having a change in life again. For me , I believe that when the people fail deeply, they will successful highly too. We can compare failures (J.T) to someone who in the forest, and every time successful men who are out the forest. Indeed, the failures can know clearly what is forest's situation (Community leader or and Teachers). But the successful men know nothing.
The meaning of the story is the best one in which I never realize. It incorrect all the failures to be having a change in life again. For me , I believe that when the people fail deeply, they will successful highly too. We can compare failures (J.T) to someone who in the forest, and every time successful men who are out the forest(Community leader or and Teachers). Indeed, the failures can know clearly what is forest's situation . But the successful men know nothing.
well i'm strongly agree with this topic. most of people judge a book not only book but also people.
some people seem to be materialism people, they focus on what we are wearing, doing, eating etc..
when I finished reading this story,I am really interested in it because the moral of this story wants to tell us that do not first seen and first judged.The Majority treat Minority such as disable.In fact, they are poor with property but their knowledge is rich.
It is a interesting story that it is nearly unbelievable about a student( T.J) who was never active in the class, yet he could save his face in the end. In the first year, everyone hated him even teacher because he was so stupid... In fact, we cannot look down someone from external. Sometimes he or she is busy and has no time to study or has problem in his or her heart. However when he or she is fine, she or he tries to learn. We will see what happens for like T. J, everyone persuades him as a leader when they saw his good ideas. Before they hated him, later they respected him. Human cannot adjudge human only appearance.
Yes, the title show that don't judge a book by its cover. Mean that don't see old cover of a book, but u shoul read the meaning in a book is better.if we compair in our society, many people always look down the poor people.
It is right that we can't only see a person by his appearance or some activities. Some people never say a good thing to you, but they always helpful for you sometimes. And some people are well with you, but worth nothing to you. There are real thing that the people are in a bad condition-poor, not clever, useless, never success, etc. But they end up with everything-success in business, become a famous, rich, etc. Some don't look down on people. Friendship is not useless even though the person is useless.
Everything always change every time, we can not judge that person is good or bad. we have to fine deeply and look to time move we will see the result such as T.J he succeed in his life.
Actually, most people they always judge the man his look. We cannot judge the person by his look because the appearance it is not able to shows that whether he or she good or bad. We can see only his or her skin black or white and nice or not nice but we cannot read their heart and know his or her mind clearly.
This story is talking about what we have thought on a person who has done a lot of bad things in negative way. People can be change if we provide them more education and more morality. Give them a second change to show that he or she capable of doing good things. As we can see now a day, a lot of successful people are come from bad backgrounds. So we should not judge anyone by their past activities or backgrounds.
No one is perfect around the world. Human always have mistakes but they haven't mistake if they know about their mistake and change it. In contrast, human have mistake unless they don't know about their mistake.
people can change their bad behaviors or attitude if we provide emotional support(words and action that reassure them and share positive feeling) and opportunity for them to correct mistake.In addition, time is a part of changing people's mindset toward to positive self image and self esteem. Therefore, don't judge human by appearance.Find internal knowledge from those before value.
It is meaningful for me.it's a real,how can we know deeply if we not read a hold book ? this topic want to advise us that don't judge someone only their face,we must know clearly and understand well about their mind.Face can not tell us about the behavior.
It is meaningful for me.it's a real,how can we know deeply if we not read a hold book ? this topic want to advise us that don't judge someone only their face,we must know clearly and understand well about their mind.Face can not tell us about the behavior.
After i read this story, i think that the writer want to tell us that before we do anything, we should know about the detail then make judgement about its. As the fact, if we just see only the face of other people we don't judge them immediately, we should find to know clearly and understand well about them, then we can make judge on those people without wrong.
HORT YOUHORNG 404 says:
After I red this story, I think that the story want us to obey our parents because our parent have more experience than us .if we didn't do follow them, we will have sorrow and lose all every thing that we have at present or at the future. Our parents love us than every thing. They want us have good future and luck. They spend every thing when we want. They try to work hard to earn moneys to feed for children, so we are a kid we must respect them. we don't make them cry and hopeless to us. All the words of our parents are always value like as diamond. We are students must to become a good person in society.
i think this story want to tell us that before we do anything, we should know about the detail then make judgement about its. As the fact, if we just see only the face of other people we don't judge them immediately, we should find to know clearly and understand well about them, then we can make judge on those people without wrong.
Thinking to other people only time is not enough to judge them good or bad people. Even last time they used to do something that made much problem, but we should give the chance to them to correct their mistake. Sometime they can thought wrong, but if we try gave them opportunity, they may will change their negative point.
This article I can learn that we should not think negative all things in our lives. Actually we can evaluate someone on what they are doing because no one is perfect. We should teach or guide them to use their potential. We should give chance for them doing something and correct or scaffold them with some points are wrong. we must encourage them but do not curse them. If we do that, we will see their victory in the future .
It seem unbelievable story,but in the end of story I strongly believe that the real story for students. Why I say that? because this story apply to the real life of students now day.Look at this story!(J.T)is a students who wasn't very talkative, didn't answer questions and got into lots of fights. He had flunked almost every class by the time he entered his senior year, yet was being passed on each year to a higher grade level. Teachers didn't want to have him again the following year.But The next day, T. J. was very active in all the sessions. By the end of the retreat, he had joined the Homeless Project team. He knew something about poverty, hunger and hopelessness. The other students on the team were impressed with his passionate concern and ideas. In the end,T. J. reminds us that a bird with a broken wing only needs mending. But once it has healed, it can fly higher than the rest. T. J. got a job. He became productive. He is flying quite nicely these days.
It is a good title.so all the people judge sb by ur face , must have ablity that person can and than can dission about them. Like the if the cover is old but the meaning is full, so before judge it. u must konw the meaning clearly by read the book one by one pages.
Yes, in fact we should not judge a book by its cover because some books, their covers are so interesting but for the meaning in the books just simple, but for other some books, their covers are so old but it has deep meaning and many advantages. It like the people too, good appearance not mean that good character.
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