Day 3

Okay, I finally had a tough class. It was about time. My ninth class of the school year, during that last block of the day, was rough. It started with a student who refused to participate, and reacted very disrespectfully. I gave him a moment to collect himself in the hallway, and he agreed to come inside to participate. At the next opportunity, he did the same thing again, with an even bigger reaction. Students were laughing. I believe I was visibly ruffled, and it took a lot to get the class back. It was not the class I had been hoping for, and was very frustrating.

I then handled the situation in a textbook way, and the next part went incredibly well. This student, let's call him W, was new to our school. I had spoken to his mother earlier in the day about poorly done homework, and she mentioned that he is uncomfortable asking for help. I pulled W from detention and brought him to my classroom to chat. He mentioned that he wants to be a pro football player one day. We talked about how, if he wants to earn the millions, he will one day have to speak on TV in front of so many people, and only after he has spoken his way through high school, college interviews, and college. He agreed that even though speaking publicly is scary, it's an important skill.

I explained to him how I get nervous before I teach, and how I practice my lessons ahead of time (this year, anyway). I grabbed a copy of the next day's classwork, and we found a place where he could read aloud. We practiced the reading together. He struggles reading, although I am not qualified to diagnose anything. By the third read-through, he sounded fluent and confident. I also spent a few minutes tutoring him in content that he didn't learn at his old school, and that most of his peers know. I had him text me, so he had my number stored to ask for help. We planned on more opportunities for speaking in class in the future. He walked away with a smile.

I wish I could say that it resolved perfectly, but I don't know yet. I see him this afternoon, and I will call on him to read. He could read aloud, have his peers celebrate his confidence, and continue working hard towards his goals. He could refuse to read, react poorly, and derail the class again. I asked him this morning if he was ready, and he said, "A little."

We'll see how it goes.