Thursday, March 8, 2012

great day

ok so I spent the last blog complaining, but this time it's all good news! So just as a refresher here is part of what I do with this job...
I have a list of 11 students (everyone's list is different ranging from 5 to 13) and it is my job to keep these students on track to graduate or at least to pass the algebra class I tutor in.  To do this, corporate has asked that we log 15 hours with each student before May 18.  I didn't get my list of students until late November and I still have dozens of other kids who ask for my help. So to try and get 165 hours has been daunting and my entire team is behind on meeting that goal so it's been frustrating at times (i.e previous post).
SOOOO...
today I was pretty nervous when the TL (team leader) asked to speak with me about some things including my students.  It was all good news, of my team I am the only one who currently has 0 failing students. I was not expecting that to be the results
2 D's
4 C's
1 B
3 A's
 With 6 students under a B I have my work cut out for me, especially those D's. In Chicago a D is still passing, and with these particular two all they care about is going on to sophomore year. If a D is good enough for CPS its good enough for them.
Also one of my C students should easily have an A, his confidence in his work went up so much that he just stopped working in class, not realizing that 3 or 4 zeros in the grade book is going to rapidly drop his grade.  So I had a chat with him and we are going to make up all his missing assignments and I'm going to bug him to death everyday until he does his work!

Now for the success stories- the student with a B!  At one point this year she was failing almost all of her classes and I have been working my tail off to get her to behave.  If you'll remember one of my posts from the beginning of the year about a student who ran across the desks in the middle of class...that was was her.  In the past two months I have had multiple conversations with her trying to get her to not: cuss out teachers, get in fights, throw things at people, scream for no reason etc. etc.
Well something has happened because this crazy kid is passing all of her classes, I will probably tell you more about this 360 turnaround later, I just hope it keeps up.

The other success story is 1of those 3 A's, another female who is very nice...if she likes you.  If she doesn't than watch out, because if she doesn't fight you her older brother will.  This student got 10 days of out of school suspension and I figured it was a lost cause because she wasn't doing to hot in algebra to begin with; she was caught up in the wrong crowd and just didn't give a care about anything.
However when she got back from her suspension I worked with her for a couple hours to get her caught up in class.  I can't take much credit because she was so self motivated she did a lot of it on her own.
In fact I can't take to much credit on any of these good grades because when it comes down to it, it's these kids putting in the work, I'm just the guy who nags them.  I say it all the time, but there is so much more going on in their lives it's amazing when they put school high on their priority list.  I am so very proud of these guys and I tell them everyday because I will never understand what it is they go through.

1 comment:

  1. I totally agree that it is the student who must decide to do the work, but when someone cares and they know it, that is what makes the difference. So proud of you Andy for giving 110%

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