Every now and then teaching provides an opportunity for genuine relationships to perk like a pot of fresh brew. While so much focus is placed on curriculum, I contend that relationship-building is often overlooked as a most important component.
This became a quick realization to me two months ago when the second semester in the current school year began. One specific class, Block 1 Global Studies, contained a larger than normal amount of freshmen students with attitude issues. Specifically, five young teens could be viewed as "punks" in the eyes of many teachers. They put up a front of distrusting authority figures and general dislike for school. I sensed they would be a hard group to deal with, but rather than responding with an iron fist I elected to shift my teaching style in order to better understand their logic of thinking.
Delving into their academic history, I discovered a pattern of ongoing failure over the past 3-4 years. Unfortunately previous administrations chose to kick the can down the road with meaningful interventions rather than sitting down to discover why these teens think the way they did, passing the problem down the system for someone else to address over time. As a teacher this involves ongoing patience and tolerance for an assortment of personalities, especially when I begin the day in front of these young people. But in order to understand, one has to face the perceived problem head-on. Although the semester is only halfway completed, it has been a rewarding experience. It's also consumed much of my time and physical energies, but I firmly believe this is what true-teaching is all about.
Tapping into a resource of one past BDHS graduate now majoring in social work at a state university, I invited a handful of my most challenging students to an after-school round-table discussion. In return for their input they would receive not only a hearty meal of their favorite pizza, but a reduction of assigned detentions for past deviant behaviors. From the very start it became a meaningful exchange of information which lasted for more than 90 minutes. While I doubt it will solve every problem associated with their conduct in school, it provided great insight into erroneous perceptions by staff and student alike. Best of all, these students want to keep the conversation going with future meetings between themselves and administration.
Before closing, I'd mention that their collective performance in my classroom has improved considerable since their first day back in January. Not only did they pass my class, a notable accomplishment in itself, but they have impacted students in a positive manner. This group of rabblerousers has the opportunity to turn their lives around, provided they are truly serious about identifying personal goals and making decisions in an adult manner. Time will tell, but at least I was able to nudge a stone previously unturned.
