Robert sits in class, night after night, ignoring everything except his cell phone and his long trips to the bathroom. I've spoken to him repeatedly but have gotten no where. Monday night I asked him why he even bothered to show up. He looked at me and said, "Why do you bother to talk to me?" I realized he was on to something. Maybe he would never get a college degree but he had street smarts. I was wasting my time and energy on a person who would not change.
And that was the last time I spoke to him. Tonight, he walked out early. I changed his attendance to absent so he is now over the limit and will get a grade that gives him no credit and might hurt his financial aid. Maybe next term he will realize there is a reason teachers talk to students who are not doing the right thing.
