Honeymoon is Over

I am heading into Week 4 and all of the Teach For America folks claim that the next month and a half is the absolute most challenging portion of the school year. The honeymoon is over and the students are in the grind of classwork, homework, classwork, homework. I can definitely sense this becoming a challenge in my own classroom. I just think back to my high school career and know that I too was part of this grind.

My first two classes, the SAT Prep class and my first period of probability and statistics, are moving magnificently. The students are focused, ready to learn, willing to learn, and doing quite well. My classroom procedures are running smoothly and the students have that structure that they all really want without saying so. They know my expectations and I have a great time interacting with them all. My last period of the day, however, is definitely a challenge. I have six students out of my 26 that are special needs students. They generally shut down during lessons, never turn in homework, and performed horribly on the two quizzes we had. The inclusion model of teaching special needs students is a real challenge--one that I did not anticipate having. The inclusion model is where the special needs students simply are part of your general education class, so they are mixed with "traditional learners." I have been teaching in a style that reflects the way I learned in high school (clear notes, activities at my seat, etc.), but I need to know that not all students learn that way. I need to bring more variety to the classroom and get them active, moving, provide more visuals, and present content in a multitude of ways. This is a challenge when I'm just trying to keep my head above water during my first ever semester of planning. Differentiated learning is a tough thing to address when you have not taught before, or have been trained enough.

While teaching my special needs students is a challenge, several other characters in my 4th period are challenges as well. They consistently come to class late, get other students off task, seek attention, and are just generally the students that cause a disruption. In fact, I talked with W and J (leaving names out), two older seniors, why they are acting like middle schoolers in my class and they responded, "We are the popular kids. We need attention. People think we are cool." I wanted to laugh in their face, but I simply repeated my expectations to them and gave them every assignment they have not turned in. They currently have 0 percents.

My 4th period is a challenge, but I wouldn't ask for another class. This is why I am teaching--to empower students that are never given a shot and always expect the worst from their teachers. I am not going to give up on the students with 0 percents, I am not going to provide a poor education for those that bring excuses, I am simply going to push on. T (another student) has responded extremely well to my relentlessness and has performed better in every other class to date. I have seen results. I just need to keep pushing.

As for my other life, I don't have one. I am working from 7 am to 9 pm every night. Planning, reading up on content, and going to graduate school. It is definitely a grind, but already mid September. The year is going to fly by and I will not know what happened....hopefully no 0 percents.