Tell Me How To Get There
Written by kellyt: kelly 4 Comments
My friend Kerry related a story to me about something painful she learned when dealing with students. It isn’t easy doing this job as educators and we make many mistakes. Well, let’s face it. I make lots of mistakes. There have been times when I’ve said something to a student and instantly regretted it. There have been other times when I’ve said something and didn’t think anything of it until much later.
I have always preferred instant regret.
Kerry had a difficult student who had gotten into trouble many times before. She had a rap sheet quite long and had previously irritated many adults before. This girl came with a reputation and lived up to it. It seems that many people, in dealing with her, warned her about where she was headed. It’s what we do. We try, sometimes to no avail, to let students know what’s in store for them if they don’t straighten up and fly right. It’s a bad, bad habit and can go awry.
When Kerry was at her wit’s end she said, “You know, if you keep acting this way you’re going to end up at the alternative school!”
My friend didn’t expect the reply she got.
“I know how to get there. Everyone has always told me how to get there! What I want to know if how to get to that college I’ve seen on the tv. Can you tell me what I need to do to get there?”
Damn. Those lessons we learn as the adults in schools are sometimes really hard to learn.
June 19th, 2008 at 6:58 am
Wow. That’s the kind of exchange that should printed on the back of teaching certificates so teachers can have it with them always.
June 20th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Many years ago I volunteered to lead a Cub Scout den. At the meeting of many volunteers, who knew the boys better that I, they were picking and choosing the boys they wanted for their den. When I was told they wanted the “good” boys, I volunteered to take the “problem” ones. At my first meeting with the boys, ages 8-10, I told them that we would be meeting at my home and I planned to give them the respect that I expected in return. Told them we would go places, have fun and work together. I took them everywhere..to parks, to “shudder” museums and art galleries and many other places and we all had fun. If you expect the worst most of the time that is what you will get and vice versa..
June 29th, 2008 at 1:21 am
Wow. Makes me think of the class I subbed in so much last year. No one else wanted it but the kids were awesome, I was always shocked at how little potential they thought they had. I don’t know why, because I know most of the adults they knew thought they had very little.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:16 am
What a great question! It is something to keep in mind.