Summer School

I recently taught a grade nine applied-level English class in summer school. They were a diverse bunch of students with a variety of educational needs. Some of the students were there because they stopped caring during the school year and chose not to show up. Some were transitioning from ESL to applied level courses so that they could eventually upgrade to college/university classes. There were a few students with learning differences, or behavioural issues. I was lucky in that the students with special needs were openly communicative about their needs. Much of the theory I encountered in my special ed course was applicable in this class; a welcome change from the gap between the educational theory learned in teachers college and “real life” teaching experiences. Also, I was fortunate to have an Educational Assistant in my classroom who was both eager to learn, and to help the students learn. Her help was invaluable, especially to some of the students who required more individual attention than others. I started off with a full class of 35 students, and by midterm (only two weeks into the course), I ended up with about 25 students.

Some chose not to be there because the attendance policy was too strict. Some dropped the course because they expected summer school to be easy. I learned that many students needed not to be taught concepts and skills (because they are all familiar with the basics), but to be reminded that they are capable of achieving their goals. My standards were high, but so was my faith in my students. “Miss, this is a lot of work!” they whined. “I know it’s a lot of work. You have a lot of time, and if you use it well, you can finish it all,” I said repeatedly. Most of them did complete the assignments. Some of them gave up, or rebelled by doing nothing. They eventually faced the consequences. Some of them asked for help frequently, and some of them had to be asked if they needed help, which they sheepishly admitted they did. These students benefitted from being in the same classroom with the EA and I all day, so that we could try to give them the help that they required.

Throughout the month I learned that there is a way to be relatable and still maintain professionalism, a balance which my students told me some of their teachers had trouble finding.  My classroom management philosophy is that if we all respect each other, our classroom, and the rules of the school, things will run smoothly. The students seemed to like the simplicity of this approach, and other than a couple of instances of bickering, throwing paper, and eating in the classroom, things went pretty smoothly. A difficulty that I faced was finding a balance between being nice and being stern. In fact, when I tried to be stern, my students often complied with my requests for silence, co-operation, or attention, but only because they didn’t want me to, “get mean.” A small group of girls would tell me daily that my dimples are cute, and that they like doing well because it is better to see me smile than to see my angry face. I’m still trying to decide if they were being genuine, or if it was flattery.

Although I will remember most of the students fondly, there are two students in particular whom I especially admire. The first is a young man who wanted so badly to do well in the class that he moved seats to be away from his friends and in closer proximity to the EA and I. This student was one of the few with learning difficulties and special needs. He was aware that he had to work harder than some of his classmates, and his determination to succeed was admirable. He would constantly ask us to clarify concepts that he didn’t immediately understand, and he asked us to proof-read drafts of his written assignments. When his friends attempted to distract him, he told them to go do their work, or he asked if he could work in the library. On report card day, I conferenced with each student and explained how they earned the grade they were given. When this student received his final report card, he referred to his grade as something that he earned, instead of something that I gave him. He looked at his grade and said, “Miss, I know that this would have been better if I tried a little harder in the novel study. I shouldn’t have skipped those questions.” This was the same feedback that I was going to give him in our conference, but he was able to anticipate exactly what I was going to say. I nodded and congratulated him on knowing when to ask for help, how to deal with his needs, and where he could improve. It takes a great deal of self-awareness to do so in grade nine. Even now I sometimes have difficulty with in-depth self-reflection, so I am humbled by this student.

My second memorable student brought her mother in with her on the last day to pick up her report card. Her mother asked to listen in on our conference. I explained to the student that it was evident that she worked hard, and that she produced outstanding results. Earlier in the summer this student had lost her great-grandmother, and there were some other serious non-academic issues with which she had to deal. Still, she was able to put aside her personal struggles and delve deeply into the material being studied. She channeled her struggles into writing assignments, interacting with the texts on a level that I seldom saw from her peers. The student’s mother thanked me after our conference. I said, “It was all your daughter. She worked so hard this term, and it certainly showed.” Her mother said, “I hope that she continues to show this kind of effort… She had a rough year last year.” This student and her mother were both surprised be her achievements. I don’t know what her rough year consisted of, but she certainly demonstrated her potential to overcome personal difficulties.

The amount of maturity that these two grade nine students showed was amazing. I think about my own experiences in grade nine and I question how well I would have dealt with learning difficulties or serious personal issues. I respect these students for their determination, and self-awareness. They are a couple remarkable young people, and I hope that they continue their educational journeys with the same about of care and diligence that they demonstrated this summer.