A photo was shared on social media which showed a grown man lying on a sidewalk talking to a child who was lying down. Lot of people were surprised that an assistant principal would care that much of a student. But, the child’s mother wasn’t surprised. Steph Compton’s son, LJ who is eight-year-old, goes to Garfield Elementary School in Marion, Ohio. Compton says that it’s for reasons like this that she is happy to drive even though the school is across town from where they live. She said that her son was “having a moment” and the school’s assistant principal, Mr. Smith, got “down on his level to help him out.”
The boy was lying on the ground, almost in the fetal position. He was going through something and Mr. Smith helped him, whatever it was. LJ who lives with autism and Down syndrome is in the third grade. Amber McKinniss took the photo and said on Facebook that she took the photo because it melted her heart and LJ enjoyed it, adding, “It was the most amazing thing I’ve seen!” Amber sent the photo to LJ’s mom as soon as she snapped the photo. Compton posted the photo to her Facebook wall and it quickly went viral.
Compton’s family, friends, and acquaintances all commented on the photo, with many of them praising Smith from their time with him as a teacher to their own children. One woman added that “Mr. Smith was the best teacher,” and also said that she was delighted to see that he took those values with him as a principal. She said, “Such a great guy!” According to Compton it’s amazing from the standpoint of a parent, to see someone care that much about your child.
“I know a lot of teachers and I can think of one man in particular who I could picture doing something just like this. He really feels called to teach and sees it as his life’s purpose. Kids who are blessed to experience these amazing educators are very fortunate.”