Oh, where do we begin?
So the past two weeks have been a range of ups and downs. Dealing with interviews and job offers and everything else that could have happened outside of my classroom has made my classroom feel like the safe zone for once. I like to think that I have been a positive influence to all of my students and that they have learned much from me, but I can never be sure. However, I do know for certain that I have made a difference in two of my students' lives, one of which occurred last week. A group of boys had been disrespectful and loud for two days in a row, so I finally sat down with them and spent five minutes explaining exactly what behavior I expected from them and what would happen if their behavior did not improve. I noticed afterward that one of them had basically just shut down, and was staring off into space and not working. I asked him if he wanted to step in the hall and talk, and he said no because it never helps. Two or three minutes later, he was still unproductive and I insisted we step outside. Once in the hall, he reiterated that he did not want to discuss anything, basically because he had been through the behavioral loop (i.e. counselors and administration) multiple times before and that nothing had changed. Long story short, I told him to give me a chance, and then directly asked him what it was that he needed from me in order to be successful in our classroom. After a moment of surprise, he asked to sit by himself away from the other students. We took that course of action, and the week and a half since then have been amazing. He is the most helpful student in the class, and is constantly offering to help me pass out supplies, asking questions after class about some bit of Spanish he saw on a cereal box, and more. He is most certainly one of those success stories that make the dubious days bearable.
So the past two weeks have been a range of ups and downs. Dealing with interviews and job offers and everything else that could have happened outside of my classroom has made my classroom feel like the safe zone for once. I like to think that I have been a positive influence to all of my students and that they have learned much from me, but I can never be sure. However, I do know for certain that I have made a difference in two of my students' lives, one of which occurred last week. A group of boys had been disrespectful and loud for two days in a row, so I finally sat down with them and spent five minutes explaining exactly what behavior I expected from them and what would happen if their behavior did not improve. I noticed afterward that one of them had basically just shut down, and was staring off into space and not working. I asked him if he wanted to step in the hall and talk, and he said no because it never helps. Two or three minutes later, he was still unproductive and I insisted we step outside. Once in the hall, he reiterated that he did not want to discuss anything, basically because he had been through the behavioral loop (i.e. counselors and administration) multiple times before and that nothing had changed. Long story short, I told him to give me a chance, and then directly asked him what it was that he needed from me in order to be successful in our classroom. After a moment of surprise, he asked to sit by himself away from the other students. We took that course of action, and the week and a half since then have been amazing. He is the most helpful student in the class, and is constantly offering to help me pass out supplies, asking questions after class about some bit of Spanish he saw on a cereal box, and more. He is most certainly one of those success stories that make the dubious days bearable.