This secret really made me reflect on my time in field experience and my current placement. I had some students during field placement that seemed really unmotivated. They refused to do work and would sleep during class, and honestly, their teachers did not seem to care. I was in an environment completely different than anything I had every experienced and really did not even know how to approach the situation. One student complimented me on my outfit, and I decided that maybe they aren't so different than I am. We talked about clothes for a little while during lunch, and she really opened my eyes to the lives that some of the students were living.
One part of the section that really made me think was the story about the boy with the broken leg. The teacher didn't know where he was coming from or really much of anything about him. I knew absolutely nothing about this girl except that she liked my clothes and she was usually in trouble for fighting. During our conversation, she let me know that one student in the class was sleeping because he had to take care of his infant siblings at night. Another student in the class was tardy every day because he had to walk his younger brother to school in the morning so nothing happened to him. I never asked her for any of the information that she was sharing with me, but I quickly learned she just wanted someone to listen to her. These students were her family, and she didn't want them to fall behind. I'm not exactly sure how to effectively teach these students, but what initially appeared as unmotivated and lazy students were the exact opposite. So much of them was taken up outside of school that some days they just were not able to focus on school.
Another part of the section that I really liked was the quote about we can all teach the Valedictorian. I loved this quote because it is exactly why I decided to teach Special Education. I don't want the Valedictorian. I don't want the student who soaks up everything like a sponge. I want the student who "just might survive because of us." I love seeing the light bulb go on when a student finally grasps a concept, and I love the challenge of finding a third or fourth way of teaching something. I feel like there is a milestone or a reason to celebrate every single day in Special Education that would just be another day or another standard in the regular classroom.
I can totally relate to this especially in my current placement. I have never experienced middle school before, and I am noticing that students are very unmotivated and unwilling to learn or do anything in school. I recently realized that was because their lives outside of school are so difficult and exhausting, they don't have aything else to give at school. Plus they seem to automatically think they are failures because they have a harder time with reading or math than others. It is very challenging for them.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely relate to the fact that teachers do not know everything that our students are going through. It breaks my heart when I learn something about a student's home life that isn't a great situation. However, when you do learn that little bit of information, it makes teaching that student so much easier. I think this really pays tribute to the fact that it is so important to take the time to really know your students.
ReplyDeleteSam,
ReplyDeleteI cam relate to your experience with students sleeping and being unmotivated in your class. Every day there is at least three students sleeping because they were out late or staying up late for what known reasons. Some students even sleep because of the medication they are on. Doing special education I have seen many things that have opened not only my eyes but my heart more. After hearing some of their home life stories I just want to take every single one of those children in because I know they can achieve the unthinkable, they just need someone in their life that cares and motivates them. That is why I feel it is my job to do that in the classroom. That I why I think it is important to get to know your students within the first few weeks of school so you can pick up on things to why they are sleeping your classroom, etc.