As educators, we all know the strain and stress that accompanies a low level class, filled with students who didn't feel they had a say in their selection. We can all relate to the trials of teaching a brand new curriculum out of a book we were only trained in for three days. Sure, there are ins and outs of these unique gauntlets that we have all griped about in the planning area, burdened our significant others with and bored our friends to tears over. However, among this new knot of tenuous factors there were a few incredible moments I wanted to share.
"We heard that you don't like our class"
Period X has potential be a teacher's worst nightmare. Period X comes at the end of the day and has a terrifying chemistry, at least four separate social groups who would never interact with each other. There are unspoken tensions between lifestyle choice, economic situations and, believe it or not, race. Teaching a group as divided as this makes every decision difficult, from obvious tasks like seating and group work to the less obvious pitfalls like oral presentations and group discussions. The new book they gave us does not tell us how to manage these interactions with grace especially when half of the curriculum is focused on cultural tensions. The other big issue in this class is just good old people stuff. Some people have great manners and some have no idea that manners exist. This class, by a large margin, is of the latter.
Well, I promised that these entries would be happy and inspiring, so here's the little tidbit about Period X which makes working through all of the above situations worth it. My best friend and I have come up with a revelation we have noticed after working side by side for seven years. Your worst class at the beginning of the year will inevitably become your favorite by the end of the year. The same goes in reverse for your best class at the end of the year. I think it has to do with fighting back, correcting and modifying behavior. At the start of a fresh term, you are more apt to be strict and swift for fear that your inaction will foster bad habits which make teaching difficult (calling out, getting up, allowing excuses, whining, etc.). When we encounter a class that is lacking in class, these corrections become vital and by the end of the year, everyone has figured out how to function in the classroom comfortably. In the opposite case, the joy and ease a teacher feels from dealing with an easy or eager class can throw us off our mission. We are so comfortable and happy with our excited, polite and hard-working bunch that we allow exceptions early in the year. Even the slightest bit of fun can spell misery in the month of May.
Period X, which is small due to the Class Size Amendment and the general number of students who failed the ACT, SAT or PERT, has a horrible habit of coming in late, taking a good six minutes to settle in and zoning out. Active activities are done passively and the general vibe in the room is empty. It was like this for about two weeks. Then, something changed.
It's the easiest thing, and a trap that most seasoned teachers have fallen into, to shut down and make your classes some kind of adversary that you must force to mimic the signs of respect. There is a quote and I can't find it for the life of me, but the core of it is something like "demanding respect from someone is like forcing them to find you attractive". A teacher can be as mean, icy or rude as they want, but they are not earning respect, they are alienating their audience. Most people's reaction to rudeness is a bout of reciprocal rudeness. I had to remind myself not to go down this path. Some people rage with hot fire and others can burn with their iciness. It may feel good for a moment, but it is deadly. Remember, we are teaching people - teenage people who have seen their fair share of miserable teachers. I had to tell myself this and I was reminded that no matter how rude you think they are being or how tense a classroom situation may be, a student just wants to feel valued, intelligent and validated. They may never actually say these things or even come close to knowing it themselves, but even the worst student will work for you if you are willing to give praise and warmth. Once you see this in a student, they are likely to listen better and respect you (finally).
Period X got wind that I acted differently with my other classes; their friends told them I was an awesome and fun teacher to have. They were hurt. As a group they confronted me, asked if it was true. What could I say? It was true. For two weeks I had changed seats, lectured them, called parents and generally had the angry face of doom on while we went through every new lesson together. No wonder they weren't responding. They were, on the outside, better behaved, but they were passive, angry and not enjoying anything we did. My job is not to make teenagers associate English with punishment or misery. I can say that this has been their experience in the past. I decided to let go of the anger and to enjoy every little word, concept and idea I was teaching them that day. I overdid it on enthusiasm, excitement and, especially, praise. It didn't matter if the student technically answered incorrectly to a question, I found a way to make that student feel good about the answer. I gave out gold stars during their group work time. Now, you may think that at seventeen and eighteen years old a silly sticker would mean nothing, but you are wrong. Before the end of the class, groups were asking why they didn't get a sticker or how to get one. Despite it being Period X, I taught it like they were the best class I had. It worked. They were changing slightly for the better already.
It's two weeks later and even though I didn't retrain the rudeness that permeates these people's lives and, no doubt, their homes and they are still resistant to work, they come in quieter. They join together and tell the talkative ones to be quiet and life with Period X is slowly getting easier. When I was out with a medical emergency last week, they actually welcomed me back with hugs. The next time I am frustrated with the group for whatever small reason, I have to remember that their behavior can be followed back to their self-esteem and their view of the work ahead of them. I must remember to start from there. I also want to attest that the quality of their work is excellent lately. Even though every assignment is a fight, homework is non-existent and it takes all the energy in forty Red Bulls to get them to complete a task, the products are incredible. I am hoping by May that I can say Period X is truly special.
*I think the measure of getting through to a poorly motivated class is when they say "Damn, Miss, this is like Freedom Writers in here". When I hear it, my brain says "Gotcha!" and I know that survival is possible. :)
I am ending this post with a quote. I hope not to forget it when a bad day strikes.
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