Student Teaching 101 - How to Connect With Students

Okay, this one will be short because I have to go to bed soon.

In an effort to get to know my students / give them the opportunity to learn more about me, I shook hands with and handed out a slip of paper to each student in my four Spanish 1 classes as they walked through the classroom door today. Once class started, I had them rip it in half, write their name on one of the halves, and then write down something about themselves on that half. I told them it could be about the sports they play, what they like to do in their free time, what their favorite subject in school is, etc. I also mentioned that if there was anything about them that they thought I should know before I start teaching them full-time (such as how they learn or what hinders them from learning), they should write that down too. On the other half of the paper, they were free to ask me any questions regarding what they want to know about me. I promised to answer them in class later that week, provided they were appropriate. :)

Let's take a small time-out here for me to bring up a student that I shall refer to as S. S is in my 2nd hour Spanish class, does no work, does not want to be there, and is obsessed with boys. This is not just stuff that I am inferring - she has literally told me all of these things in the 11 days that I have been at GMS. My CT finds her to be one of her most frustrating students, not only for the reasons above, but also because she tends to say whatever comes to mind and is generally disruptive during class. In no uncertain terms, my CT has told me that she has pretty much given up on S passing this class, and it's easy to see why - according to her file, her mother is in jail, her dad is a truck driver and is home only about 2 days a week, she lives with her grandparents, has ADHD and Reactive Attachment Disorder (which basically means that she is social indiscriminately and often inappropriately), and has a behavior infractions file about an inch thick.

So when I passed out my little slips today, I figured the chances of S actually completing this activity were slim to none. To my surprise, however, I found this statement written on her slip:

"I have depression really bad and no one here understands how that is."

I wrote back to her on the same slip of paper underneath her statement: "I understand how that is. I've struggled with depression too. You know where to find me, okay?" I handed the slip back to her as I was returning other papers and when I turned around, she was smiling at me and had tears in her eyes.

At the least, she'll know that she's not alone.
At the best, maybe we can turn her grade (and in a small way, her life) around.

"And we know that in ALL things  (not just the good things, but the tough things too), God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)