Teaching Diamonds in the TOUGH: Mining the Potential in Every Student

Finding the potential in problematic students is challenging regardless of the setting: public school, private school, church clubs, youth groups, or Sunday school. In her book, Teaching Diamonds in the Tough, author Cleo Lampos reminds the reader on each page that every teacher possesses the power to shape a child s future. Through illustrative episodes drawn from her teaching experiences, Lampos recreates the struggles, triumphs, and heartbreaks inherent in education. Undergirded with the belief that even the most incorrigible child can change if given affection, attention, and guidance, the author inspires educators with story, Scripture, quotes, and a suggested action plan. The challenge, according to Lampos, is to look beyond the rough exteriors of a student s attitude and behavior to their inner needs. Underneath may be a true Diamond in the Tough.