One of the Motivational Stories of the Year

Posted on October 6th, 2008 by admin in Motivational Stories

 

Here is another one of those motivational stories which makes you realise you haven’t got it tough really. Brad Cohen suffers from Tourettes Syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes involuntary movements and vocalisations. He grew up in St Louis being beaten and ostracised because of his condition. His life’s ambition was to be a teacher but despite having the qualifications he could not get through the interview stage. It took 25 interviews before he was successful. “Because of his tics, including uncontrollable barking sounds, many principals matter-of-factly told Cohen that Tourette’s would prevent him from being a teacher.” reports pjstar.com. “One principal told me if I worked in his school, his fifth-graders would beat me up.” he said.  Now Cohen will be portrayed in a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, “Front of the Class,” to be televised on 7 December on US network television.

As motivational stories go this one is quite remarkable. How could Brad Cohen go from the situation he describes as “I’d been on 15-20 interviews at that point? I literally remember getting in my car and starting to cry. I was crying so hard that I couldn’t drive. I couldn’t even see in front of me.” to being the subject of a network movie. He has been determined and focused on his goal in an extremely self motivational way. He went from the low point he described to within a year winning the First Class Teacher of the Year Award for the state of Georgia. Cohen’s 25th interview was at Mountain View Elementary in Marietta, Ga., where he was hired to teach second-graders. When he was given the chance to teach he decided to have a very open and honest approach. From the outset he explained his condition to the pupils who could then understand his challenges and worked with him rather than against him as others had done all his life.

In 1998, Cohen returned to his old university Bradley to receive the College of Education and Health Sciences’ Outstanding Young Alumnus Award. He is now an area lead teacher for Cobb County Schools, which means he trains teachers at two Marietta elementary schools. To read the complete article go HERE.

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