As the end of the school year is fast approaching, I wondered if anyone might have some advice about teaching summer school. Sure I’d like the extra pocket change, but I’m wondering if it’s enough to make the extra effort worth it. Of course each school is unique, but I can’t seem to get any straight answers from my own (they just say it’s great as they are begging for teacher to commit). Anyone out there with some comments? Positive experiences? Negative? Is it really worth losing one of the most valued aspects of teaching – the long summer break? Then again, money is always helpful…

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These days, I hear a lot of people expressing that “senior slump” is a thing of the past. They say that students know that colleges still consider 12^th grade as important and that it’s still vital to keep your academic record in good standing. Well, I can’t say that’s what I’ve noticed. It’s only March, and it’s already apparent that many of our seniors have “checked out.” It’s sad as some of those who have worked the hardest are the ones starting to deteriorate the most. On the one hand, it’s understandable, but on the other, they may be making mistakes that could indeed affect their future plans. What can I say that might cause them to actually listen?

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When I started teaching, I operated under the premise that my role was to impart knowledge. As the years progressed, I came to see that actually as a high school history teacher, my role as counselor to my students on a wide variety of issues was far more imperative to them than conveying the contents of my subject matter. Teens are being quite literally assaulted these days from all fronts.  Too often, they are expected to be perfectly balanced - academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. Well intentioned parents (and teachers) know all too well how increasingly competitive our culture has become, and in an effort to be sure teens are ready for the rigors of such a culture, they strive for balanced excellence. But is this realistic? Are we asserting expectations on to our youth that for many are truly unattainable? If we are, how does seeking the impossible effect teens' psyche?  Might teens be better off if we adults practiced a little more "letting go" -allowing them to more naturally evolve?

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Like anything, teaching has its ups and certainly it has its downs, but for the most part, I love it. One aspect, though, has really got me down lately.  Too many of my students - and sadly, it's so often the ones with the most promise, the most creativity, the thinkers - are doing drugs.  I can tell - I know they are, and I hate it for them.  Mostly, I just feel so powerless in really affecting them to stop and find healthier alternatives.  I've tried the talks, but the ones who are already in that culture don't really reveal much. I guess as teachers we often have larger windows with which to view teen's lives than do their parents, and even though we try, our efforts can be futile and ultimately we feel powerless. I once was more optimistic, but maybe the years have made me a cynic - anyone out there want to revive me?

 

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