Pick your head up

I'm sitting in my first period class while my collaborative teaching partner administers the test for the first half of the class. B [name removed] is sitting at my desk because he received a warning and another consequence for putting his head down instead of working on his test. My faculty advisor and I are both coaching him to keep his head up and complete the test. He's a bright student, and I know that he can and will succeed when he decides to persevere.

This is my fourth week of summer school, and all four weeks I have told B at least every other day to pick his head up. He knows that I care about him because I won't let him sleep. I won't let him sleep during my test, or during the TAKS or STAAR tests, because I see the potential he holds.

I understand that many of my students have difficult situations at home that are not ideal for coming to class prepared to learn every day. Some have children, some have children on the way, some do not have parents involved in their lives, some don't have their own bed to sleep in, and many work part or full-time jobs during the week and on weekends. The reality of my students' lives impacts the way that I greet them in the mornings. It makes me come to class every day with a smile on my face and an encouraging attitude. It's what motivates me to plan ahead and get them on track for graduation. It's why I sit and go over concepts and word problems one-on-one with students until they "get" it. Essentially, it's the very reason I am doing this work.

The reality of the community and neighborhood around Sam Houston High School is impactful in my teaching style, but it is not a reason to lower expectations for my students. It is not a reason to focus only on the historically high-performing students and only teach to their level of interest. It is not an opportunity for any student to opt out of participation in my classroom. It is not a justification for my students keeping their heads down in class or coming in late.  If I don't hold them to a high standard, who will? Who will teach them why punctuality is important? Who will help them model what hard work looks like? Who will push them to shoot for higher goals than they ever thought they could achieve before? Who will believe in them when so many teachers, administrators, and other people have given up?

In four weeks, I'm not positive that all of my students know my heart behind my teaching practices, but I continue regardless. I refuse to let B or any other student put his or her head down rather than work. I respect what he and all of my other students bring to the table- their backgrounds, their home lives, their interests, dreams, and goals. I am thankful that they taught me this summer. Thank you, B, for teaching me to pick my head up after a not-so-hot day in the classroom. Thank you, J, for teaching me how valuable it is that we have an engaging intro to the lesson. Thank you, M, for letting me know that you are a visual learner and I need to incorporate more visual representations.

Thanks to you, 61 Algebra 1A students at Sam Houston, I am leaving institute with my head up, encouraged, and ready to take on the next 2 years in the Rio Grande Valley.