This is dedicated to every student and teacher in the world. lyrics Verse 1 His cup was full before he got to school And then he showed up late looking like a fool He had drool on his chin from waking up late And an aching in his belly because he barely ever ate The clothes he wore were straight off the floor There was an odor, pretty hard to ignore Before he goes to class he’s gotta show ID But lost it, five dollar penalty He just wants to sit down and take a deep breath Forget about his dad locked up for meth But his homework once again he forgot And the teacher's gotta put him right on the spot Like, “Where’s it at? Why’s it late? How come you can never keep nothin’ straight?” And he don’t wanna debate, but he gets defensive Says a couple things you could call offensive Just like that kicked out of class And that’s one more class he might never pass Told he can come back when he’s ready to learn But what’s he gonna learn if he doesn’t return? He’ll learn being by himself is much less demanding No failure and no reprimanding It also ingrains his understanding That adults in his life will just keep on stranding Him on his own, keep leaving him alone If he wanted neglect he could’ve just stayed home But he came to school and he wants to grow And he’s been through things no one should have to know Now I’m not saying his behavior should be tolerated But a little compassion is appreciated Teaching is hard and we get frustrated But it's so much harder when we’re separated Chorus One smile, one minute Can let him know you’re there and that he’s not alone in it He looks tough, but he’s not This chance you give him might be all that he’s got He needs some hope, give him some hope Verse 2 If a kid told you that two plus two Was like twenty-five, what would you do? Probably teach, re-teach, and then teach again But if the kid talks back then the lesson ends Or we send them home, three day suspension Call it discipline, but it lacks dimension Completely ineffective in the way of prevention Provides no process for ascension Dissension reinforced, daily basis Detention administered, stuck in stasis Think if we ministered true solutions What would that do to our evolution A restorative practice revolution Healing what hurts, purify the pollution Some like to say that the system's broken That doesn't really help with no suggestion spoken There's people working hard from the inside out That the media never says much about They report the mess and never the success Because people doing well doesn't sell much press They stress the kid that got incarcerated But not the at-risk that graduated They never show his mom's face so elated Because the news is negatively saturated So teachers try to stay positive Learn to let it go and then to forgive There's quite a few kids that are counting on you And there's so many sides to the job you do You're an innovator, a co-creator A mentor and a collaborator Your classroom's a magical incubator Giving nourishment and there's nothing greater

Father, I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you: I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures - I wish no more than this, O Lord.