My gang of three boys meets me every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30-4:15. We work on homework, catch up on missing classwork, study for tests and read and write together. Early on in the year, I called each of their parents to request that they stay with me after school, so I could help them be more successful as eighth graders and help them establish healthy academic habits before high school. Their parents agreed, so beginning in October, they have been coming to my classroom for extra support.
The support I offer to my after school group is similar to the types of supports I use to provide to my own children when they were in middle school. I teach them study skills. I show them how to prioritize assignments. I require them to meet with teachers to clarify directions and expectations. I monitor and model organizational systems. I quiz them. I ask them to set short term goals. I match them to books. I confer with them about their written organization and elaboration…
For most of their middle school years, my three boys have earned at best C’s and at worst D/E’s. Now that they are in eighth grade, complacency has set in and neither teachers, parents nor the boys expect much more.
The thing is, supporting them after school is easy work. I am not a martyr nor a saint; however, I do believe we teachers have the ability to change students’ academic trajectories. My hope is to instill in them (besides a love of reading and writing) a new vision of their potential along with the learned understanding that they control their academic destinies.
What I respect most about my after school trio is that they do the hard work of showing up. They show up twice a week for 1 hour and 45 minutes. They show up despite the data that shows they aren’t achievers; they show up despite their parents and sometimes their teachers referring to them as lazy; they show up despite the student study reports that suggest they have undiagnosed processing problems; they show up despite never being named to the honor roll nor receiving academic accolades. The boys who stay with me are smart, funny, and caring. They are remarkable human beings who deserve more.
Showing up is what creates change. And we’ve got another ten weeks to establish a new academic narrative.
This is an excellent model for how to mentor kids, to see them through the entire school year. You are doing incredible work.
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What is going to make such a difference in these boys’ lives is that you believe in them. They show up because they value being with you and you know how funny, smart and caring they are. I hope that they will find more adults in their lives who can do that for them.
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Totally agree with you! I think it is amazing that you give up that precious time to work with the students. There are so many things to do–you put it on pause because the students need you!
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Absolutely! So great of you to offer your time and talents, those students will come around and they will always remember you, because you see good in them.
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“My three boys”- your title for the group really shows how you try to take care of them.
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Powerful and passionate. I love the line about changing the academic narrative and disrupting complacency. You and your trio are quite amazing.
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