70-year-old in first grade becomes unlikely hero

[proud2BlibKansan]

Alferd Williams, 70, sits during a reading lesson Friday morning with his fellow first-grade students at Edison Elementary School in St. Joseph.

By STEVE ROCK
The Kansas City Star

ST. JOSEPH | As he walks the halls of Edison Elementary School, student Alferd Williams is a rock star.

Kids of all ages throw their arms around his waist. They holler to him across the cafeteria, or wave to him on the playground, or excitedly whisper to a friend, “That’s Alferd!”

They want to read with him, or sit with him at lunch … or simply ask him about his recent appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

Life may never be the same for Williams, 70.

“I never, ever dreamed of all this,” Williams said on Friday, his classmates scurrying outside to recess. “All I ever really wanted to do was learn how to read.”

That’s all it took.

more . . . http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/603170.html

[Freedomofspeech]

1. Thanks for posting this.

[OneBlueSky]

2. that's one of the nicest stories I've read in a long time . . . thanks! . . . n/t

.

[malaise]

3. A truly lovely story

Thanks.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. There are some wonderful pictures

http://www.kansascity.com/static/media/BIGKID_050208_MLR/

[malaise]

21. Thanks

:hi:

[Subdivisions]

4. Thanks for a wonderful story. Salut, Mr. Williams! n/t

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. That was wonderful

I've met illiterate people in my life, and there is often a defensiveness about them that Alferd has gotten beyond.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Isn't he a wonderful role model?

I just loved this story.

[unblock]

7. what i want to know is how long obama has really known this guy!

seriously, kudos to the school for letting him in and of course to alferd for going for it!

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. Take it to GD:P

:evilgrin:

[unblock]

10. if you insist :)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5796088

no need to thank me :evilgrin:

[leftyladyfrommo]

11. I saw this in the paper this morning, too.

It is so nice to have a good story once in a while.

[Muttocracy]

12. great story and photos - thanks.nt

[ClayZ]

13. How wonderful! K and R

[gateley]

14. This is one of the most touching, heartwarming stories

I've read in a long time. And what an enriching experience for those children! It brings tears to my eyes.

[HuffleClaw]

15. ewwwwwwwwwwww

what parent would want a 70 year-old man in the class with their child? that is just not right.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

16. Ever heard of transmitting the wisdom of the elders?

Actually, in pre-industrial societies, the job of the grandparents was to pass on the values and lore of the tribe or the family to the youngsters. I cherish the time I spent with my grandmother growing up, and recall fondly that my mother had her visit her second grade classroom. The kids were delighted. I believe there are many schools that encourage retired folk to come into the classroom. Alferd is serving as a role model for the kids, and, perhaps, also is a replacement for the elders that have often disappeared from the modern family structure.

[Mind_your_head]

17. A wise & loving parent would want their child in the classroom with that wonderful guy

"Wise and loving" obviously eludes you.

[grasswire]

18. you've got a lot to learn (eom)

[tbyg52]

20. What? How about their teachers?

This sounds wonderful to me.

[Posteritatis]

24. Because, of course, all older men are child molestors, right? (nt)

[Exultant Democracy]

25. perhaps the parent of a kid who is now getting a free lunch everyday because of the guy

there are a lot more kids who go to school hungry then you think and in some neighborhoods something like this can really make a difference and allow a school to devote more resources to feeding a child's body and mind.

[proud2BlibKansan]

26. So the 70 year old teacher I know

should quit? Because his presence in the classroom grosses YOU out?

LOL

[QueenOfCalifornia]

27. Hey...

You aren't even close to 70 yet....

are you?

:hi:

[proud2BlibKansan]

33. Not old enough to retire yet

That's all that matters. :hi:

[roguevalley]

29. you are an ass. I taught for 27 years and if someone like him

came, I would allow it. What a pathetic post you made.

[proud2BlibKansan]

34. 28 years here

:hi:

[Midlodemocrat]

35. What an ignorant post.

:puke:

[Catherine Vincent]

44. Your post sucks ass!

Idiot!

[MadHound]

46. Hey, given the current economic situation, I'll probably be a 70 yo man in the classroom.

Granted, I'll be teaching the class, but still. That's one thing I love about kids. Unlike adults, they are much more accepting of people no matter their differences. That's one reason I'm teaching, so that I don't have to deal with judgmental assholes.

I would say that this man is a bit beyond a student, and is instead a wonderful classroom resource.

[Radical Activist]

54. And how demeaning for the man.

There are adult education classes he could be in instead of being reduced to the level of a child.

[lightningandsnow]

19. That is awesome.

That story makes me so happy.

[bean fidhleir]

22. Very nice indeed! Thank you.

Pity he's estrainged from his kids.

[MonkeyFunk]

23. He was on Ellen this week

along with the teacher. Quite a guy.

[crimsonblue]

28. this is the America I love.

K&R

[roguevalley]

30. me too. so very lovely, this story. his mother must be smiling from

heaven. Or better yet, she is sitting next to her boy, feeling such pride and love for his genuinely manly heart. It takes a real man to do such a thing. Bless him and his forever.

[crimsonblue]

31. the kids in that class don't yet understand how lucky they are...

Alferd will be a source of inspiration and encouragement their entire lives... I'm prepping to make a documentary, and I'm thinking he would be a great subject.

[MuseRider]

47. I'm thinking that this

would make a wonderful documentary. I think the very best gift a child can be given is the chance to associate with elders. Learning their stories is a wonderful teaching tool. I know quite a few certainly influenced me as I grew up and to this day I reflect back to them with love and an understanding of life far deeper than I would have had if I had never been with them. My neighbor was an old woman who came to Kansas in a covered wagon. Her stories gave me a love of the pioneer spirit and the land and brought me to this place in my middle age and I wish I could thank her now. Perhaps she knows.

Go for it. It would be a wonderful story for people who have lost the opportunity to grow from experiences like these. Alferd, the children and the adults who are with him can teach the adults who apparently do not understand the value in this story.

[JanMichael]

50. it's a great thing for the children to have this man in the class, BUT

this is the America I despise.

He was in a homeless shelter. He has a bad relationship with his children. He has never had one freaking ounce of societal support as far as I can tell. Is he getting counseling on how to spend that 10,000 dollars?

How many others (hundreds of thousands) aren't on the Ellen Show?

What about those kids? Their families are so poor they get to eat at school?

No, this is the America I despise with a passion. We let things get this bad, then one heartwarming story comes out, and people feel somewhat better because of it.

It sucks. Our system sucks ass.

[crimsonblue]

53. yeah, bad shit has happened to him

but the great part about America is that redemption and salvation are just a corner away... Although, these days, there are armed guards at the corners, not letting you turn.

[JanMichael]

55. no. In America, for black men and women

redemption and salvation have NEVER been around the corner.

This guy got a lucky break; not many others do.

I think he's great for the kids, and great for the school, but let's not make up fairy tales about redemption and salvation in this cruel, ugly system that has been stacked against minorities since some idiot shot the first Native American.

[SeattleGirl]

32. Great story!

Being able to read IS liberating, and good on him for wanting to learn.

I used to have a job where I had to do assessments on people, and it involved having them fill out a questionnaire. I always knew when the person with me couldn't read; they would say they forgot their glasses (I heard that a lot). People are tremendously ashamed if they cannot read. Someone like Mr. Williams can be very encouraging to those who cannot read, but who would like to learn.

[Arugula Latte]

36. That is fantastic.

:loveya:

[qanda]

37. I love this story

It's never too late to learn.

[DesertRat]

38. What a beautiful story

Thank you for the uplifting post. :)

[Richard Steele]

39. K&R.

[GetTheRightVote]

40. Truly a sweet story, I wish to hear more of this type, brings on a smile you see.

I can always use more smiles.

[progressoid]

41. Welcome to first grade!

http://www.kansascity.com/static/media/BIGKID_050208_MLR/

[proud2BlibKansan]

51. Those pictures are so wonderful

What a neat experience for these kids.

[Captain Angry]

42. Slightly related...

It would have been nice to go to schools that were so diverse when I was young.

Look at that picture. How cool is that?

Back on track: good for him. It's never too late to learn. I went back to college 16 years after I dropped out. Now I try to explain to the regular college students what class was like before cellphones, the web and even being allowed to use a computer for homework assignments. Shocks the hell out of them.

[proud2BlibKansan]

52. We had one computer in my high school

and it was so big it took up a hallway. They couldn't find room in a classroom for it. I tell my kids that and they are amazed. To think that 40 years later, I am sitting here with a computer in my lap, is pretty amazing though.

[NuttyFluffers]

43. :) i like happy stories like this!

undoing the troubles of the past with kindness in the present. and he's probably providing as much wisdom in humanity to the students as he's getting literacy from the teacher.

[mogster]

45. Lucky kids, they got a grandfather in class

I'd have liked to go to that class as well, lol ;-)

[JAbuchan08]

48. my grandfather met my grandmother in first grade

she was his teacher, and yes they were the same age, or nearly.

[iamthebandfanman]

49. great story, thanks n/t