Courage. Being a high school student requires courage. Given all of the distractions facing students at my school on any given day, it takes courage for many of them just to show up. One appropriate example is a student showing up to school after two days of absence without explanation. He never missed class before then, and I began to worry about him. Nevertheless, on the Friday of our first pep rally, he returned to stand in the bleachers and bare his "RIP" banner for a loved one recently deceased. He did not have to be at school, and he was obviously having a hard time. Still, he came to school. He came back and continues to return.
Students return after getting jobs, attending funerals, sleepless nights watching siblings, disputes with their parents, and any number of other events that characterize adolescent development. It just seems that they don’t necessarily know how to turn this determination and courage into success according to the rules and expectations in my classroom.
I know that if a student walks into my room, they want to learn. They may not know how to express that or act that out, but they want to learn. So I know that when I fail to get their attention, or I lose their interest, I have not capitalized on their determination and courage. Their attendance alone is the biggest difference between success and failure.
Some of my “smartest” students cut class the most. Some of my “smartest” students are my biggest behavioral challenges.
I want to know how to channel this energy, determination, and courage into academic success.
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2 comments:
Hey man, what a great outlook, and one I frequently forget to focus on in my classroom. Just being in school shows that my students want to succeed, and that they desire to have an education. It is very overwhelming to realize all the obstacles so many of these students face. It reminds me of two years ago when a really bright student of mine walked through the donations line at the local mission to get a turkey with her family, and I handed it to her. It's shocking realizing that these same students who are in our classes are dealing with an abject poverty that I rarely see or confront withing the confines of school. And sometimes, that means that the best thing I can give my students is a smile, a friendly handshake, and the hard work that it takes to be a teacher. Hope your journey is treating you well, talk to you later.
Brian -- you are awesome and wise beyond your years. You have my admiration.
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