I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. Regardless of what I do, everything's set up for us to fail. And it's heartbreaking. Last Friday, I had Jakil come into class around 3:30pm afterschool asking how he could raise his 45% to a C. This is the type of request teachers loathe. "Where were you weeks ago when you started struggling? 45%... to a 70%... on the last day of the marking period!? Really??"
Alas, any opportunity I have where extended one-on-one is possible is an opportunity I must take advantage of. Besides, what kind of teacher would I be to turn away a student who seeks success.
So we work, and we work. I find out Jakil, who is in geometry, does not have a damn clue how to solve an equation, let alone a multi-step equation with variables on both sides, let alone set up the equation from an angle pair diagram that presents the situation in an extremely convoluted way.
We work until 6:00pm. All the teacher homies are at happy hour. Jakil and I are at a desk in my classroom.
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And then I come up with the scenario, what if I work hard for Jakil day after day and he begins to find success. All those extra hours for a passing grade in geometry. So happy we'd be. I'd be quite proud of how far we'd come.
But then I consider, what would happen next year when he steps into another math teachers class? And, I can't help but think... is it even worth it?
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I'm not even quite sure this is even legal, but this is a private blog, so be it. If you take issue, let me know and I'll take it down. But, here's a student I taught during my second year. She was a freshmen. All-star. Sometimes an old school teacher will beg the question "Well, maybe your class is just easy..." And, I'll respond "Check the CST score she got w/ me, and check her transcript...."
How can you go from an A+ to an F? From an Advanced on CST to a Below Basic. A's and B's on a shining transcript, with a black hole only in math? A black hole that will likely be the sole reason why she's not UC bound.
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I think about Jakil and anyone else in my classroom. I think about the months and months of work we'll put in together this school year. The ups and downs. The days I'll stress over lesson plans to help the kids get it. The failures and the successes we're both sure to experience. And then I consider... what's it even worth?
2 comments:
Hey Mr. G,
Okay two things:
1. I think it's worth it because you made a connection with a student and they have an experience in their lives knowing that at least one teacher out there cares about their success. Also, you're showing them they can work out problems for themselves if they know the concepts. Education and knowing how to learn and work are invaluable lessons. Obviously something about the attention and time you spend with your students is doing something positive. I'm not sure if it's a coincidence, but if you look at your overall student's grades- you'll see that the semester she did well she got a better overall gpa. Sure the classes are getting harder, but I'm sure failing a class also makes you suffer some confidence in your other classes (I know from personal experience =P).
2. Is there a way to help the students maintain this momentum of working hard and learning to get the grades they want/need. I don't know this other math teacher, but I'm sure someone working with them to understand math concepts helps more than "they just are dumb" or "they're not a good student". What these students need is time and attention and apparently something this other math teacher isn't willing to give. I know I'm talking about high school students but is there a way to create a math success club (probably with a cooler name...club e? organization pi? ok that's all the math puns I got). It'd be a club where students could tutor other students and help them get better grades. Also, I think it'd be a good place to create student leaders/future teachers of the world. I know it would take resources and time (which I know overworked teachers don't have too much of), but it might be an idea you could pass around? Or a way to make the work you do "worth it" for the future?
Don't even get me started on how this kind of thing shouldn't be your job. The government and the resources allocated to education and educators and siphoned to jails instead is depressing. But people who care have got to do something. Heck anything.
- Diana
damn, for sure frustrating.
but as diana said, you might be the only one giving them the confidence and skills that will make them believe they can succeed.
recently heard someone say something along the lines, "you have to ask yourself what it is that you're fighting for and if what you think you're fighting for is worth it then you should never get discouraged."
if it's worth it, keep fighting the good fight, mr. g.
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