Three weeks ago at lunch, the tenth-grade teachers met with the class "repeaters,” students who have repeated either their freshman or sophomore year. These students make us want to pull our hair out because of the many small (and not so small) ways they choose to self-destruct. One has completed two years of school and has a total of three credits. As a straight- A nerd during my own high school career, I don't fully understand how this could have happened in the first place.
Regardless, the teachers called the meeting, ordered pizza, explained the purpose and discussed credits with the students in small groups. We were honest and open, explaining what their next steps are, how they can get it together and how to sign up for credit recovery.
When the meeting was almost over, the school director asked one last thing, "So why do you think we called this meeting?”
Tina (thick-kohl eyes, extreme hair pouf, every other word is an f-bomb during her first freshman year, been kicked out of her house too many times, and now got out of her gang) Sanchez answered softly, "Because you guys care."
During my own discussion with Tina about her credits, she quickly took out a notebook, dutifully jotted down her current grades and volunteered a goal for herself for the next week to begin getting her credits back on track. When she is working one-on-one with a teacher, she is motivated, focused and mature. All the traits required for a successful student.
We all left the meeting with warm fuzzies, laughing together about how many times Carlos had been caught off campus and all the times Jorge had been sent to the office.
When Tina came to my class after the lunch meeting, I was sure she would be ready to learn and excel.
She ended up sitting down next to Yasmin and talking the whole period, not taking a single note or participating in any of the class activities.
After steaming quietly from afar, I thought back to the lunch meeting.
For the eight repeaters, here are their demographics:
seven students of color; one Anglo student
seven males; one female
six from single-parent homes; two unknown family backgrounds
three English-language learners
All eight would qualify to receive free or reduced lunch if all the paperwork was completed.
Of the six teachers present, here are our demographics:
one teacher of color; five Anglo teachers
five females; one male
No English-language learners
I wonder how perceived cultural differences are affecting student success. I lament over how multicultural curriculum is being thrown out the window as a consequence of greater rigidity to prescribed, test-aligned curricula. I want to know how to recruit more teachers from backgrounds similar to our students’. And I can’t help but think how my own female, white nerdiness keeps me from better understanding students and supporting their learning.
I know there are larger issues at play here, but in my role as classroom teacher, I feel largely helpless to address them. Here is what I can do: I’ll keep working with Tina, listening, offering opportunities to turn it around and continue to be there to maintain high academic standards. Hopefully, this is a hiccup on the road to her academic success.
Still, a question persists: What can I do about the larger road that public education is taking?
Eden is a high school language arts teacher in Colorado.
Links:
[1] http://www.tolerance.org/author/gwendolyn-eden