A Makeover

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about some challenging students in my GEN Y GED class.  I’d had a few rough classes and sometimes that just gets discouraging.  One student in particular wouldn’t even participate.  His first day, I was kind of perplexed.  I wasn’t sure if he didn’t understand what we were going over or whether he was just having a bad day.  I sat down to talk to him, but he wouldn’t even look at me when I talking.  While I don’t have any, I felt like I was speaking to one of my children.  There were a couple more incidents, but ultimately I decided just to let him come over on his own.  I mean he always came to class; he just didn’t do anything.  He had to be coming for some reason.  It definitely wasn’t my jokes.  Really, I get my sense of humor from dad.  And he’s not that funny.

However, on Thursday, everything changed.  He participated in class and when some of my students were giving me a rough time about a particular activity, he actually stood up for me.  He worked through the entire lesson and even worked through my students’ one break.  He worked on fractions the whole time and kept grinning every time I graded a couple of the problems he’d finished.  I think this was the first time I saw an unsecreted smile, let alone 5 or 6 in succession.   He even wrote his essay!  Maybe he was simply having a good day.  I just hope he keeps having more like it.  Wish more classes could be like this.  Man, I had to stop myself from hugging him…but that would’ve been just awkward.

Kolter

A Tour at the Akron Art Mueum

A few weeks ago, one of my ESOL students asked if we could take a trip to the Akron Art Museum.  Now, since we don’t have buses, I am sometimes nervous about going on field trips (Plus, perhaps insanely, if I drive, I worry about being liable), but since the museum’s just across the street, in this regard, it couldn’t be in a better location.  The problem then became all about money.  As you probably understand, not all of Project Learn’s students can afford to pay the $7 entrance fee, and since I don’t have a degree in Art History and skipped a few too many class in Intro to Humanities, I figured we’d probably need a tour guide to make the trip worthwhile and educational.  But this would only add to the amount my students would have to pay.  But luckily, the museum offered to provide students, staff, and volunteers with a free tour and admission. 

All in all, the trip turned out to be a great success.  Eleven of us (ESOL and GEN Y students, one volunteer, and I) attended, and one of my GEN Y students even brought a friend and her family.  The guide was great, and I think that everyone who attended it enjoyed it.  My ESOL students got to practice their English, and my GEN Y students learned quite a bit about Art History.  I’d like to thank the Art Museum staff for their generosity and services they provide to the community and for all the help you’ve given our students.

Challenging Students in Class

Honestly, I’ve been rather fortunate.  Almost all my students in my GEN Y GED class (basically always in my ESOL class) participate in class without question.  And if they’re reticent at the beginning, I usually win them over quickly or wear them down with constant “highly-suggested volunteering”.  But what do you do with a student who just refuses to participate?  Not just refusing to participate in classroom discussion but refusing to do anything at all.  Not even work on his or her own.  Just sitting there for 2 and a half hours, starring into space.  (Could you think of anything more boring?)  That’s really frustrating.  Most of the time the student doesn’t even acknowledge you when you try to find out what’s wrong and stares out in the distance as if you’re not even speaking to them.  Now, I talk to myself as much as the next person (you all talk to yourself, right?) but in the classroom, that can get to be quite infuriating. 

You start wondering, “Why are you coming?”  Especially when he or she hasn’t missed a single day of class since he or she started.  Questions run through your mind–Does he or she not understand the lesson?  Problems at home?  Is he or she court ordered?  Does he or she need a letter to get benefits from Job and Family Services?  These things pop in your head when you’re trying to talk to someone who won’t even look you in your face.

However, it’s that one day when they finally start participating, even if they participate for only one day and then the big evil attitude comes right back, or when you make a joke and class and you see them suppress a laugh, that reminds you the reason you’re teaching and gives you added incentive to help the person.  At least that keeps me going.  There’s a lot of frustration but the little moments and the possibility for change continually encourage me.  To be honest, I don’t think I can ever fully believe I can’t make an impact on every student who comes to my class.    I hope I never get to the point where I can give up on somebody.