Sunday, October 4, 2009

What to do?

One student is really giving me grief: won't come to school (usually misses tests and quizzes), acting up in class, attitude, etc.

Tried to call the parent and found out she is in a group home.

This doesn't change that she needs the education = probably more than most, but I feel like a heel for expecting so much from her - and like a heel for even second guessing that.
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2 comments:

Pissedoffteacher said...

I never complain if they are difficult and don't come to school. I am not an attendance teacher. Of course,my school will hold me accountable for terrible attendance in my pd 9 class.

October 4, 2009 at 3:15 PM
apple said...

my first year teaching i had a student living in a shelter with her mother. she was chronically late and absent, but when she was in school she was full of attitude. instead of engaging in unwinnable battles with her, i tried to be as compassionate as possible. i allowed her a small space to eat her breakfast (she was afraid to take food out at the shelter for fear it might be stolen), i told her i expected her to do the same work as the rest of the class and asked her to join my after-school club so she could use the lab to get homework done. she slept a lot in her classes, and as it turned out, her mother was often not at the shelter at night and she was afraid to sleep there, and would ride out the nights alone.

your student might not be interested in sharing what's going on in her life, but you're absolutely right that she does need the education badly. and you may just be the only person that expects anything at all from her. and that can be a huge influence.

October 10, 2009 at 3:32 AM

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