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Finding the Connections


Don’t I hate it when I back a student into a corner unintentionally! I did it today with one of my 8th graders. He didn’t do his homework and was very nonchalant about it. I asked him (loud enough for the whole class to hear unfortunately) what his football coach would think about that. Of course, he started telling me he didn’t know about the assignment. Not letting it drop, I disagreed with him. I argued with a student. UGH! I know better than that! My rapport with this student has been very positive. All it took for me to screw it up was showing my disappointment, no make that frustration, that he did not do his homework. When I went to apologize to him immediately after I realized what I did, he turned his head and ignored me. At that point, I walked away. As class went on, I treated him like I did every other day. By the end of class, he had come around and approached me about getting his homework done.  With any luck, it will come in tomorrow.

I have two classes of students who are at the lower end of the spectrum and have not been successful in school for a multitude of reasons. You know the ones. These are the kids who avoid anything academic as much as possible. No surprise that the majority of them are boys. I need to find ways for them to be successful in their reading and writing. This is difficult to do when several of them cannot read past a second grade level. What use do they have of the foolish things we learn in school such as plot? That is my challenge - to find a way to engage them. I know inquiry is the way to go, yet I have yet to come up with the right question to get it started. Therefore, we do the curriculum in a unique way. I want to find a way to make the curriculum relevant to the world around them. In the 8th grade that means writing letters to the principal asking for recess, new football helmets, and uniforms. Who knows if they will get anything they want, but at least the students get a voice. In the meantime, I have not found the magic for the 7th grade yet. I need to find out what my non-readers are into. Slowly, but surely that information is coming out.

I have a manager for my team. He is from the self-contained room; self-contained because of his behavior. The type of kid I taught for the first six years of my teaching career. I approached him when an adult suggested it to me. He is all about helping out. I am all about working with him. When I told my team who it was, they all looked a bit surprised. I imagine it is due to his reputation – a gang member and a trouble-maker. Yet, I hear he is a good kid who has made some bad choices. I am going to give him the opportunity to make some good choices. God knows I could use the help.

I work with a group of such amazing kids! I know why it was time for me to leave my last school. We need each other.


Comments

  1. JanetSeptember 1, 2010 at 8:12 PM

    You are the best thing for these kids! If anyone can reach them it is you! Remember, Reading Don't Fix No Chevy's!

    ReplyDelete

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