The Education of Ms. Groves

It is April 2005, only eight months since a bright-eyed Monica embarked on her teaching journey full of enthusiasm and naivety.

They are eight months that Monica calls her baptism by fire. How will she emerge from the flames? How will her students?

Mayah: I was kind of shaky...

Hoda Kotb, Dateline correspondent: ’s ?

Mayah: I had one or two. But now I’m on track. I got all my work, I’m getting all my work done.

Mayah (checking the 'missing homework list'): Nope, my name ain’t on there.

It’s true. Mayah’s name is not on the rather crowded missing assignments board. So what has changed? It’s simple, really. After five months in prison...daddy’s back.

Mayah: Me and my father are like, we’re like twins.

Kotb: What did you think when he went to jail.

Mayah: I was sad. Cause he’s like my best friend too. So I was sad. And when he came back, when he came back home, I was sleeping and he tapped on my leg. And I just saw him and I just jumped up. And I was just so happy.

Kotb: He loves you hard, doesn’t he? You’re lucky. Do you feel lucky?

Mayah: Yeah.

Mayah’s father (at a PTA conference, to Maya): You’re going to do better, right? Because we’re not going to tolerate this. You come to school to learn...

Groves: You can tell that she wants more than anything to make him proud. And when he became involved immediately there was just something else on the line for her, and you could see it.

Mayah’s father:  The next time I come down here you better be getting some awards and being commended for something. Cause I don’t wanna have these behavior problems, ok?

Will Mayah be able to improve her grade? Will her classmates?

It is May 4^th. The book reports are due.

Groves: Throughout the course of the year, different projects, I’d have such a little stack. And it would just be so frustrating because I’m like, “I know how smart you are, but you have to show me!” And I got a full stack of beautiful book reports...

Not only have most students turned in their book reports, the quality of their work is high. And as Monica is ecstatic to find out, so are the scores of their final exam.

Monica’s goal for 80% of her students at a “B” or above. As Monica calculates her students’ final grades, she realizes ...they did it. They rose to the challenge.

Groves: It was a huge moment because I needed that validation. I needed some type of progress. And that’s the thing that’s beautiful about this whole experience—that there has been. I may not be when you thought it was gonna come. I may not have been when you wanted it. But it happened.

As Stephen and his family endure month after month without a home, he is desperately waiting for a huge moment of his own. 

Stephen: We kept praying every morning, for reliable transportation, and to live in a house fit for us. All of our hopes were down and we didn’t know what would happen next.

And all of a sudden: A newly built house, with a room for Stephen.

Stephen: I feel more quiet and reflective. It just helps me to think about what we have gone through and how we got this.

The year has been quite a journey for Stephen. His family was there for him when it got rough. And so, without realizing it, was his teacher.

Stephen: She gave me a lot of knowledge, the things that I’ll need to go on through my life with. She gave me more hope about myself...

Groves: I didn’t always think that kids would believe what I was saying, but it always just inspired me to realize that the things that I said mattered to them. They listen. They listen to what you say.

More than a third of Monica’s students make the honor roll. Among them, Stephen. As always—quiet, resilient, proud.

Drew is there too. He fully expected to make the honor roll, but he has another reason to celebrate. He’s made it into gifted program.

Groves: Come here. Drew, I’m so proud of you.

Kotb: So you think that this single moment, whether, you know, him making it into the gifted program could in effect change his life.

Groves: Yeah, because if you think about it, that’s what moments are. Actually I shouldn’t use the word “moments”... choices, decisions can really change your life.

Kotb, to Drew: What do you think, Drew, is the most important thing you learned from Ms. Groves this whole year?

Drew: I think what she taught us was to always do your best.

Mayah is trying to do her best.

Mayah: I want all my teachers to be proud of me. Ms. Groves especially. Cause I know I work real hard in her class.

She is slowly finding her way back to the girl she used to be... in part thanks to a teacher who refused to give up on her.

Kotb: You want to do it to show her you can do it.

Mayah: Yeah. She knows I can do it.

Only three months ago Mayah had an “F” in monica’s class. Her final grade? A “B.”

Groves: She’s realizing now that it’s about what she’s capable of and I think a young mind, as creative as they are and as energetic as they are, sometimes I and others, we can underestimate the power that they have within to be able to change themselves. Our faith needs to be in them that “you can change.”

There once was a teacher who had faith in Monica. Her role model, Mrs. Kamminga. In our many interviews with Monica, she’d spoken of her so often, we set out to find her...

As we’re talking, Monica has no idea that we found Mrs. Kamminga, now a retired teacher living in Michigan, and invited her for a surprise visit. Monica hasn’t seen or talked to her in 16 years...

Mrs. Kamminga walks in

Monica [doesn’t recognize her]:  hi...how are you doing?

Mrs. Kamminga: Good. Well, do you know who I am?

[Monica shakes her head]

Mrs. Kamminga: ...Can you think back, quite a few years ago...

Groves: Oh my god...Mrs. Kamminga??!! Oh my God. Oh my God.

[Monica starts to cry uncontrollably. They hug]

Groves: Mrs. Kamminga, are you serious. The minute you started talking...the minute you started talking, I knew who it was.

When I think about the impact you had on me and how much I enjoyed being in your classroom, if I can achieve ever that, I will be so...if I can ever do that.

Kamminga: You will. I have no doubt. You have such great inherent qualities. You were such a great little first grader.

Groves: Thank You! You see, even now she has the same effect.

The student is now a teacher. But the education of Ms. Groves has only begun.

Groves: This whole experience from beginning to end has been like a mirror up to my face. And I’ve seen how flawed I am. I’ve seen how much work I need… I was just humbled by it all. Because it’s difficult and I wasn’t able to be what I know I hope to be someday. But I’m working on it.

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The Education of Ms. Groves A classroom as fascinating TV? Producer: Chronicling Monica's journey Meet Ms. Groves' students The principal's point of view Mrs. Kamminga, Monica's inspiration and 1st grade teacher The Education of Ms. Groves Section Front   Add The Education of Ms. Groves headlines to your news reader: