Pinellas Park, Florida -- It's not unusual to find second graders in Pam Carver's class diagramming sentences or even learning Latin.
Carver is a teacher at Classical Christian School for the Arts. It’s a small private school in Pinellas County.
A mother herself, Carver says she became a teacher to be closer to her own children and to make a difference in the lives of other kids.
She certainly has done that for Ryan Franz. She says when Ryan came into her classroom, he had some challenges and even a simple task like holding his own pencil was nearly impossible.
But she says she kept encouraging him and telling him that he could do it. She even made him say it out loud. It helped boost his confidence and sure enough, with hard work and positive reinforcements Ryan began to blossom.
Ryan wasn’t having a hard time learning because he was lazy. He was born with a genetic defect called Russell–Silver Syndrome. Those who have the condition can also have learning disabilities.
Russell-Silver Syndrome also causes those who have it to be small in stature.
To look at him, you would never guess that Ryan is 12 years old. His size allows him to fit right in with the other second graders. It can be more difficult for Ryan to learn, but not impossible with a good teacher like Mrs. Carver.
Ryan’s mother, Paula Franz, says Mrs. Carver has changed Ryan’s life.
Mrs. Carver is able to devote extra time with Ryan and the rest of her students because the classes at Classical Christian School for the Arts are smaller. Ryan sits up front and is called on often to answer questions.
Ryan says he appreciates his teacher and all the special attention he gets from her. Now he loves spelling and can even count to 10 in Latin.
When I asked him if he could show me how much he appreciates his special teacher, he perked up and asked,” Do you want me to prove it?”
And he did. Ryan turned around and gave his teacher a big hug and told her she is the best.
Mrs. Carver smiles and says of her students, ”They all have different moms and dads, but when they walk through that door, they are my kids."
Ginger Gadsden, Tampa Bay's 10 News