Posted on 12/26/2007 8:38:52 PM PST by Amelia
THE PROBLEM When Andrew Coburn, a teacher at the Met High Schools in Providence, R.I., met his new ninth grader, a Cambodian immigrant, she spoke fluent English but read at a third-grade level. Her slender frame seemed to radiate depression. School, Mr. Coburn thought, seemed a place she wanted to get away from as soon as she could. Even if she lasted for four years of high school, she would have nine years of academic ground to cover. But first the teacher needed to get her to stay in school.
THE SOLUTION Mr. Coburn, who has taught for eight years at the Met, a network of six small public high schools that serve primarily a low-income and minority population, said many of the students lack academic skills, and just as many hate school. But figuring out how to help has to be tackled student by student.
[snip]
The Met schools encourage strong relationships between teachers and students, on the theory that these can help underachieving students succeed. Mr. Coburn, like all the teachers, has the same students from ninth grade until graduation.
[snip]
At some point, when nothing was changing, he said, I knew I had to do more to connect to her. I discussed it with the other teachers. Together we decided Id have to cover her with love. I started to talk to her in the evenings. I talked to her like I was a teenage girl 11 at night on the phone I was like: Your aunt said that to you? She did what? I had to build trust with her.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Our local weeklies very often have positive stories about the local schools — but they are Gannett papers and linking to them is such a royal pain because of their rules.....plus the links only last 3-4 days.
Once they trust you, they open up to you. And thats when the work really begins.
This speaks volumes. I was very interested in this and very glad to read it. Thank you.
I adopted a policy in my classroom about 5 years ago to never assume a student is mad at me when they blow up in class. I ask them to leave and then in the hallway, I ask what is wrong. It has never failed that it was something totally unrelated to me, but I just took the brunt of their anger. Once you give them a chance to talk and maybe an opportunity to go see the counselor, you've bought HUGE bonus goodwill chips that last months.
Kids are so worth the extra effort.
“More than you know. ;)”
What he said! ;)
Ok, I'll start paying more attention to my local papers, and perhaps y'all could do the same? My local papers may be Gannet ones too; I'll need to check on that.
We all know that not all teachers are slackers and not all public school students are drug-abusing gang-bangers, but too often positive stories aren't considered news.
Positive doesn’t sell papers and it doesn’t garner hits, either. Hence all the jackasses piling on about public schools here. Just take it in stride. Not that I do but I expect better from you. LOL
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