Joe wanted to be on the varsity basketball team more than anything. As a freshman and a sophomore he played junior varsity but he knew how good he was and yearned to play with the big boys. His happiest day was the day he made the team.
Joe became the number one forward on the team. He led the team to victory and everyone was sure he would lead the team to winning the city championship. Unfortunately, report cards came out and Joe failed four subjects and was dropped from the team. Every teacher said he was missing homeworks, was excessively late and that he had poor work habits. Even his basketball teacher said his work habits were poor. Yet, Joe was taking a full load of classes, classes that only a bright kid would take.
I was the teacher responsible for handing Joehis repot card. When I saw it I felt ill. I knew he was not doing well in my class and had many discussions about this with his mother, grandndmother and guidance counselor. I had no idea he was doing so poorly in all his classes. I photo copied the report card and walked into the counselor's office. I wanted to make sure he was aware and would try to help. "Ms. POd", he said, "Joe is just lazy. Besides, he is overwhelmed with work since basketball started. He is glad he is off the team and will have more time to study." I just said "I have never met a kid who wanted to flunk off the basketball team. There must be something else going on. He is too good a kid and too smart a kid to get grades like this." The guidance counselor promised to look into it and to bring his mom to school for a conference. I am still waiting for the conference to happen.
By the third marking period Joe passed enough subjects to get back on the team. He's in my class again and up to his old tricks--no homework, lateness, etc. I told him if he's not careful, he will be off the team again. He told me not to worry. Report cards come out after the season is over.
Joe is a member of the ethnic group Principal Suit is so eager to help. I gave Suit Joe's name earlier this week and asked him to do something for him. Joe is too bright to be failing. Why is it that no one in the school will do anything to help a kid like Joe? Maybe its just me. Maybe those grades aren't a cry for help, they are just the grades of a kid too lazy to do any school work.
6 comments:
Hi there. First, I'm sorry about this student. I do have so many like this that I know all too well how frustrating it is! I have such a high percentage of kids failing...so many of us try to help...but still...what is going on outside the home seems to always be more powerful than the power of education. At least in their brains it is.
On another issue, don't be "pissed off" but I've tagged you for a different kind of meme. Come see it over at my blog.
It's difficult to watch a child self destruct, but I have learned that sometimes, that's exactly what we need to do as educators to teach them a tough lesson. I have an 8th grader right now who is incredibly bright, can listen and process material quickly and easily, can get 90's on exams without even trying- but is failing every subject, because he does not do a stich of work. No matter how many times we have explained to him that he is not graduating, he either can't, or won't, believe it (of course, he's been promoted from year to year, and that's a big part of the problem). I have told him (in front of his mother) that if he continues to have poor work habits throughout his life, he is going to end up as an unmarried 50 year old man, living in his mother's basement with 5 cats. (I was going for shock value). His mother said, "no way".
I don't know what the answer is. Sometimes, kids need to fail to get a hard, cold dose of reality.
I tagged you for a nice little teaching meme:
http://ilanadavita.wordpress.com/2008/03/02/passion-quilt-meme/
He may well be a special needs student that has never been assesed. Of course the adminstration, his parents and maybe even his coach will not want him to be assesed. You know how costly Special Education is!
You know, that coach should be coming to everyone to make sure that he's passing. Don't they do eligibility checks there? They did them at the HS I did a long term job at and at the MS that I am at now.
Most coaches are good at coming to you to ask you to change grades to passing. At least this coach did not do that.
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