"The Light Bulbs Go Off"

In building teacher-students relationships, I am finding that students’ light bulbs are going off. The bulbs are going off for different reasons, but none the less they are shining bright. It is unfortunate that is has happened only after being in an alternative learning environment. Now, I believe in getting to know my students and finding out what I can do to help them be successful in transition back into a traditional learning setting and into society. My students usually feel comfortable talking to me, and I can honestly say that I am honored to have such close relationships with my students even if it is for a short period of time.

For many of my students they have not attended school for a long period of time. They have been consumed by peer-pressure and the fast life that school has been put on the back burner. They are more concerned with making a name for themselves than having their names printed on their high school diploma. Students are now slowly realizing that education is important because of their current situation. I ask them all the time, “what type of statistic do you want to be?”. I tell them that they are already at a disadvantage, but they have the power to change the direction of their future. They can do this by being committed to getting their education.

A high school diploma is everything. After numerous conversations and putting it into to their terms they finally get it. The light bulb goes off. Then all I hear is “Miss, you right, you right”.  In every moment, I challenge you to make those personal connections with your students.

"Wherever They See Fit"

This week I noticed that a number of my students are bring their outside behavior into the classroom. They could care less that it is a learning environment. They have no filter on the things that they say or the way that they behave. They do whatever where ever they see it.  They cruse, yell, fight, dance, and play around in the classroom. It really makes me wonder what is going on their heads. Do they really think their behavior is acceptable? How is to blame? 

I believe in self accountability, but I also believe in the power of parenting, which I believe has lost its power for some of my students. They lack of parenting is evident in the classroom, especially in urban educational settings. I am not saying that this is the case for all the students, but for the majority it is. The streets, televisions, media, and peers are raising kids while their parents are working two jobs, addicted to drugs or alcohol, or are incarcerated. Grandparents and other relatives are being left to raise these children and having to deal with everything they had going on before they became their responsibility.

Once these kids get to school they show out and could care less. They are dealing with so much in their home life that they are not focused in school. This is where building those student-teacher relationships come into play. That one-on-one conversation, which inquiry about their deviant behavior, has to occur in the classroom. The students have to know you care.  I have those conversations with my students because sometimes there behavior is just out of control. From students I expect it, but for others it completely catches me by surprise. I take off my teacher hat and put on my counselor/ mentor hat and get down to the root of the problem. In every moment, I challenge you to consider the hats you want to wear.