Students

There's a general feeling among many of the teachers I work with that students today don't care about what they're doing; that they're lazy, unmotivated and less self-sufficient than when we were their age. Some of my colleagues cite lack of parental involvement. I guess that's true but my parents weren't too involved in my school work or school activities and I did all right. I got good grades, overall, and I played football (soccer), basketball (I was my school's captain) and athletics (I ran the 100m and threw shot and discus).

In my eighteen years of teaching, I have to say that I'm starting to agree with my colleagues. Athletes don't want to practise anymore, students talk back to their teachers and more often than not assignments are always late or not done at all. This lack of interest among my students became more evident when, on the first day of one of my seventh grade Health classes, when I was going over what's going to be covered, the grading scheme, etc, one student raised his hand and said, "Is the work hard?" and another followed up with, "Do we have to do it?" I've been teaching long enough to be able to discern when a student is asking a sincere question or just saying stuff to test boundaries and push my buttons. These two students were sincere. I looked at them wondering if I had a third head or a dunce cap on or if my fly was down. I was caught off guard, lost in disbelief, that students would wonder if work had to be done in school.

Things changed, however, the last few weeks. Not with these two particular students. They ended up not doing much work and earning less than favourable grades. What changed was my feeling that kids and their potential are going down the drain. In one of my current classes, on the day our first project was due and the students had to present their work, I asked if anyone wanted to go first. What do they say - the two things people most fear are death and talking in front of a group, not necessarily in that order? Well, one student shot her hand up and confidently presented her research on three eating disorders she'd been assigned. She had excellent information, was confident in herself, humble in knowing that she was doing a good job, gracious when I complimented her for doing so well and just downright pleasant.

I didn't just compliment her, I thanked her too. In eighteen years of teaching, one can sometimes feel jaded and become cynical. This student, however, brought me back and gave me a sense of hope for our kids and our future and a feeling of joy for being a teacher. Again, I thank this student and I thank her parents and everyone else who has shaped her into who and what she is. And, I encourage more to be just like her. Not in a carbon copy sort of way- because I'm a big believer in young people being able to experiment and express themselves in the way they need to at the time - but in a motivated, confident, wanting to succeed sort of way. This student did a class assignment. I dare say that she would've done work that was just as good if she wasn't getting a grade for it.

A funny thing happened after she presented. I asked who wanted to go next. Everyone looked down and I even saw a couple of people swallow in nervousness. It was as if they - we - were all thinking the same thing, "How do you follow that?" Well, someone did follow. And someone followed after that. Eventually, the entire class went. And, they were just as good. In examining their posters and reports, some had better material than others. Some posters were nicer to look at, some reports were beter organised. But, when they were up and facing the class, it appeared that whatever the first person has had rubbed off on them or enhanced their own already strong confidence levels.

There are two weeks left of this round of Health courses. I'll be passing this class on to another "special" - Art, Music, Home Ec - but it won't be without regret and gratitude. Regret because this collection of students is the kind of mix every teacher dreams of. I wish I could keep them for the rest of the school year. Gratitude because for, at least, once in my teaching career I had that 'best' class. As I pursue a writing career as a novelist, with the possibility of maybe leaving teaching one day, this class has reenergised my teaching battery and reminded me of the rewards of being a teacher.

So, whether you've been teaching for eighteen years, eight or eighty, be patient and remember that kids will surprise you. They are, after all, the best part of our jobs.