This week for Doc Running’s blog
hop, we are sharing strategies for engaging the unengaged students in our
classes. I would like to share a
personal story that still brings tears to my eyes when I recall the events of
last spring.
Last year I left my beloved full
time teaching position to pursue a part time position as a Title 1 Math
Tutor. I came from a very high achieving
suburban district and now teach at an urban middle school school. It was definitely a culture shock for me, but
I felt I could really make a difference and I was right. During my first week, I witnessed a lot about
the culture of the school. Disrespect,
depression, and disinterest seemed to be abundant.
A student, we’ll call her Natasha,
got into a verbal battle with her math teacher, and right away I was
intimidated by her. She was tough. Nevertheless, I began teaching intervention
lessons in her class. I oozed with
energy and joy as I worked with these kids.
How could I help it? This is what
I love to do. For the first couple of
weeks, I would make a quick stop at Natasha's desk, offer advice, and quickly
move along. After a couple more weeks,
she would start to call me over to help her.
About two months into this experience, one afternoon when I was helping
Natasha through some rate of change practice, she said "you can call on me
for the answer to this one." I was
overjoyed that this girl with the cold, argumentative nature, now wanted to
volunteer in math class.
Well, by the end of the year she would
smile when she saw me in the hall and in class, volunteer to share her answers,
engaged in all our activities, and even asked me to be her tutor.
Moral of the story? It is amazing what a little energy, passion,
and love can do. I gave her time to
learn to trust me, monitored her progress from a distance, and let my passion
and love shine through. I made sure
Natasha – and all my students - knew they were respected and cared about. This is why I teach.
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