I didn’t know if we were supposed to do a blog this week or not. If we were, my fault. I’m late. Sorry
So lately, it’s seems like some kids just don’t get it, and then some really do. I have a student who is a freshman. He’s in my Work Place Readiness class. I’m not exactly sure if he has an IEP or not but he is definitely an average student. He struggles in class, but I encourage him all the time. He may come to me and ask me questions on the directions or exactly what needs to be done for the lesson. He wants to make sure there is no room for error and that he comprehends what he is doing. It may take him a bit longer to do his work assignment, but I don’t mind giving him the extra help or time. I also tech him to lift weights once or twice a week when I pop into the weightlifting class. I can tell he is very grateful.
Then I have a kid who is a senior who thinks he knows it all. He was an exemplary student until right after Christmas. He was an A-B student and worked at Callaway Gardens for almost a year. After he entered the Art Institute of Atlanta best teen chef contest his ego became inflated and he had no follow through. Not only has he entered the contest but he applied to the Art Institute right after Thanksgiving and has not heard back from them yet. He was going to do the page one contest but he didn’t finish filling out his paperwork nor did he ask me for a letter of recommendation. He just simply didn’t get to it. Now he is working at the prestigious Chattahoochee River club and I believe he thinks he has surpassed the master. Oh my lord does someone need to knock this kid of his soap box.
My point of this blog is: I would rather have a class full of kids like the first student I mentioned rather than the second. With the first student at least I know I would be giving that child skills for life and be nothing but proud of him/her every day and they would be grateful. With the second student that normally does well when they become sophomoric in nature they become apathetic and ungrateful and begin do disappoint you.
Eh, what can you do? Try – Try – Try, harder. Should I try harder or should they try harder?
I feel your pain. It appears that incentives and rewards are somewhat limited in the education arena. Quite honestly, rewards and incentives just do not appear to be a part of the plan.Yet, they appear to be working well in the private sector. Don't get me started about the pay as it relates to the job and the awesome responsibility teachers have been given. Hang in there and just maybe someone will wakeup and smell the coffee.
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