Penny
Senior Member
I teach Middle School Reading Improvement--my classes do not necessarily catch the cream of the crop. Most of my kids really do want to get on with the work and recognize they need to improve, but I get some who have no use for the system and drag everyone down.
One of my classes has the King of I Don't Care. He's been in trouble with the law, has his future career planned out (no schooling needed for that--he's already got the street credits), and is just in school because he legally needs to be. He's in a class with rough kids who are inspired by him and the class is getting impossible to deal with. I got fed up. I started out class by explaining why they're all in there and my role as a teacher. No one goes in to fight with kids and I'm there to help them, but it's tough when they shut down and give me so much attitude. I want to work with them and have the advantage of small classes, but they're not letting me help them. I asked them to write down what they want to get out of my class.
Then I called the King out to the hall.
I basically laid it out by saying, "Look, I know school's not your thing and you don't want to be here. You have no use for this place. I can't make you care. But you're bringing the class down. Believe it or not, most of those kids really do want to pass."
He told me I was crazy. He opened my door, looked at the class, and said, "How many of you really care about passing?"
All but 3 of the kids raised their hands. The King was shocked. "Man, what you do that for? You're making me look bad!"
Gotta love those guys sometimes.
One of my classes has the King of I Don't Care. He's been in trouble with the law, has his future career planned out (no schooling needed for that--he's already got the street credits), and is just in school because he legally needs to be. He's in a class with rough kids who are inspired by him and the class is getting impossible to deal with. I got fed up. I started out class by explaining why they're all in there and my role as a teacher. No one goes in to fight with kids and I'm there to help them, but it's tough when they shut down and give me so much attitude. I want to work with them and have the advantage of small classes, but they're not letting me help them. I asked them to write down what they want to get out of my class.
Then I called the King out to the hall.
I basically laid it out by saying, "Look, I know school's not your thing and you don't want to be here. You have no use for this place. I can't make you care. But you're bringing the class down. Believe it or not, most of those kids really do want to pass."
He told me I was crazy. He opened my door, looked at the class, and said, "How many of you really care about passing?"
All but 3 of the kids raised their hands. The King was shocked. "Man, what you do that for? You're making me look bad!"
Gotta love those guys sometimes.