Why I Teach

Well, it has been a rough couple of days. I have had some serious ups and downs (well - mostly downs) with these kids.......but on Friday of last week, the impact we teachers have on our students hit me like a ton of bricks.

First of all, I have a young girl in my freshmen Physical Science class. She has an excessive amount of absences that are all excused because she has been going through treatment with Phoenix Children's Hospital regarding complications with her liver. She has been consistent with trying to meet me after class and coming before school to get her make-up work when she can. She is such a doll. I met her and her mother in the front office one day as I was passing through and her mother does not speak any English. I spoke to the student and told her she just needed to focus on getting better. Her counselor has emailed me asking how low her F grade is. I told her the F grade is simply due to missing labs and other in class stuff which is difficult to make-up, but otherwise, she is an outstanding student. I told the counselor to let me know how I can support her. Her counselor showed the email to the mother and my student. Since that day, this young girl has been coming to school early and asking me if she can help me in the classroom, and staying late to help me clean-up and get ready for tomorrow in the classroom. EVERYDAY! Just melts my heart! Wish I could help her with her class work grades, but I have submitted the question to my department head and would love to figure out a way to help her!

My student who mooned me..... I had the WORST week with him last week! He was such a PILL! Just totally defiant and the worst attitude on his face! I tried to call home, number is no longer in service. I emailed the counselor and she is still trying to get in touch with parents to follow up with the mooning incident. He is in JROTC so I emailed his Sergent Major who teaches that class and asked for his help. MAJ was very helpful and told me he has noticed the same behavior. He said he thought there were some issues going on at home, but he would talk with him and see if he could get through to him about his behavior.

The student came in to see me that day after school (Friday). He stayed for 2.25 hours! Would LOVE to know what MAJ's secret touch is!!! He sat there getting caught up on all his missing work and missed assignments! While he was working, he asked me about my Dad. He asked if he was a nice man and I said that my dad was the greatest guy in the whole world. He asked if my dad ever took me to play catch and I said in a joking manner, "Yes, but I was never any good at it, I am sure he would have loved to have a boy instead of 3 girls to play with!"

My student started laughing and asked me if I wanted to hear a poem he wrote for his Dad. I said yes and he started..... "Hey Dad......(don't remember).......before you left, did you ever look in to my brown eyes and wonder if you were doing the right thing........(don't remember because I was trying so hard not to cry....."

AUGH! Why does it have to be so hard?! My "moon" student stopped abruptly shortly after that and turned his face away to cry. I could see the tears dripping from his nose. This is why I went in to teaching. To make no money, starve to death, work harder than I have ever worked in my life, take the backtalk, endless parent conferences, and attitude in class......all for these few moments. Everyone (teachers I would like to model) tells me it gets easier. They tell me to hang in there and that eventually it will all get easier and we can just focus on the actual joy of teaching. I hope that comes to me before the end of the school year.

My "moon" student came back today before school and promised me to keep coming back until he has raised his grade up to a C. I told him my condition was a B, but we were hoping for an A. He smiled and said he would be back tomorrow.