Watered down

A bazillion years ago Nestle's was in trouble for selling formula in Africa to new mothers. As I remember it, Nestle's reps convinced these new mothers that the formula was so much better, that their children would benefit more from it than mother's milk. The mothers couldn't afford to buy enough formula, so they would water it down. And their children starved.

I feel too often that I water down what I teach in order that the students find some success. If I teach it the way I was taught, with the expectations I had and the expectations I have for my own children, the students I teach give up, turn away, fail.

Even my attempts at making it relevant or fun aren't noticeably successful. But dumbing it down helps them to pass.

In the past week I have talked one former student into coming back instead of dropping out. And talked with another who moved, dropped out, won't come back and says I am in the only teacher who believed in him

I justify dumbing it down because the kids tell me I believe in them. They bring me their standardized test scores to share because they know I care.

But am I fooling myself and I am just slowly starving them?