CONVERSATIONS WITH MY STUDENTS
Over the last couple of weeks I held individual conferences with each of my high school students. The first marking period ended and report cards had come out. I wanted to talk to them about their grades and know how they felt about school. I learned that no matter what age, kids say the damnedest things. Some of it is very enlightening. Some of it just makes me wonder.
Here are some examples. Keep in mind that I work with inner city NYC kids who may have social or developmental challenges.
STUDENT: Javier
GRADE: 10th
Me: Javier, you’re grades aren’t very good. How do you feel about school?
Javier: Mista’, school’s wacked. It’s so boring. The teachers are boring.
Me: Why is school so boring?
Javier: Because we never do nothing fun, and the teachers be beasting.
Me: What do you mean?
Javier: They be givin’ so much homework.
Me: Homework is part of the learning process. Teachers give you homework to help you understand the material for the exams and regents tests. It’s to help you, Javier.
Javier: That’s wacked.
Me: Okay. Well, then what would make it better for you?
Javier: Teachers should ask us if we want homework.
Me: But if we ask whether you want homework, would you actually do it?
Javier: Mista’, I ain’t doing that shit.
STUDENT: Joseph
GRADE: 10th
Me: Do you think school is worthwhile?
Joseph: Mista’, I want to drop out of school.
Me: Certainly that’s a choice you can make. But if you quit school, how would that help you?
Joseph: I can get a job.
Me: Where do you want to work?
Joseph: Footlocker.
Me: Don’t you think you’d get a better job if you graduate from school first?
Joseph: I can’t quit school anyways.
Me: Why not?
Joseph: I talked to the courts.
Me: And what did the courts say?
Joseph: The judge said if I quit school, I’ll be behind bars again.
Me: Sounds like school is a better option than being behind bars.
Joseph: Yeah… But then I could see my brother. He a gang memba’. He got on parole.
Me: Why is he back in prison now?
Joseph: He quit school, so they locked him up again.
Me: ?
STUDENT: Jose
GRADE: 10th
Me: Jose, how do you plan to graduate with grades like this?
Jose: I don’t know.
Me: Are you not interested in school?
Jose: School’s okay.
Me: Then what’s the problem? Why aren’t you doing the work?
Jose: I don’t know.
Me: Jose… What do you plan to do after graduation?
Jose: Play football.
Me: I hear you’re one of the best on the school team.
Jose: Yeah.
Me: Where do you plan to play football after high school?
Jose: College.
Me: College? Jose, I have to be honest with you. No college will accept you with grades like these. You’re a really smart guy, but you won’t get into college to play football unless you start applying yourself now.
Jose: So. I’ll still play.
Me: Where?
Jose: I’ll stay in high school.
STUDENT: Leiny (female)
GRADE: 11th
Me: What book are you reading for Independent Reading?
Leiny: Nothin’, mista’.
Me: Why aren’t you reading?
Leiny: I hate reading. It’s hard.
Me: I know reading is sometimes hard. But the more you practice, the easier it gets.
Leiny: I guess so.
Me: What do you like to read about?
Leiny: People. And, what’s that’s called—drama?
Me: Oh, so you like to read about people and the things they experience in life?
Leiny: Yeah. I like that.
Me; One of my favorite dramas is a new book called The secret life of bees. Have you read it?
Leiny: That’s a book?
Me: Yes. It’s about a girl a few years younger than you and the experiences she has growing up. Would you like to read it for Independent Reading?
Leiny: Nah, mista’. I hate books. In 200 pages in a book, 190 suck. I only read magazines.
Me: Magazines? Which ones?
Leiny: Deli store ones.
Me: What kind of drama is in a deli store magazine?
Leiny: They be talkin’ about the stars and what they be doing. Ha! They more fucked up than me, mista’.
STUDENT: Maribel
GRADE: 9th
Maribel: I don’t like my teachers. They’re annoying.
Me: How are they annoying?
Maribel: They just are! They don’t do fun things. They just want us to work a lot.
Me: Your teachers aren’t trying to annoy you. I’m sure I annoy you in my class, too, but I’m just trying to help you.
Maribel: Nah, mista’. Before I use to think you were annoying. But now you’re mad cool.
Me: Oh? Why am I so cool now?
Maribel: Cause, mista’, you stupid. It’s funny.
Over the last couple of weeks I held individual conferences with each of my high school students. The first marking period ended and report cards had come out. I wanted to talk to them about their grades and know how they felt about school. I learned that no matter what age, kids say the damnedest things. Some of it is very enlightening. Some of it just makes me wonder.
Here are some examples. Keep in mind that I work with inner city NYC kids who may have social or developmental challenges.
STUDENT: Javier
GRADE: 10th
Me: Javier, you’re grades aren’t very good. How do you feel about school?
Javier: Mista’, school’s wacked. It’s so boring. The teachers are boring.
Me: Why is school so boring?
Javier: Because we never do nothing fun, and the teachers be beasting.
Me: What do you mean?
Javier: They be givin’ so much homework.
Me: Homework is part of the learning process. Teachers give you homework to help you understand the material for the exams and regents tests. It’s to help you, Javier.
Javier: That’s wacked.
Me: Okay. Well, then what would make it better for you?
Javier: Teachers should ask us if we want homework.
Me: But if we ask whether you want homework, would you actually do it?
Javier: Mista’, I ain’t doing that shit.
STUDENT: Joseph
GRADE: 10th
Me: Do you think school is worthwhile?
Joseph: Mista’, I want to drop out of school.
Me: Certainly that’s a choice you can make. But if you quit school, how would that help you?
Joseph: I can get a job.
Me: Where do you want to work?
Joseph: Footlocker.
Me: Don’t you think you’d get a better job if you graduate from school first?
Joseph: I can’t quit school anyways.
Me: Why not?
Joseph: I talked to the courts.
Me: And what did the courts say?
Joseph: The judge said if I quit school, I’ll be behind bars again.
Me: Sounds like school is a better option than being behind bars.
Joseph: Yeah… But then I could see my brother. He a gang memba’. He got on parole.
Me: Why is he back in prison now?
Joseph: He quit school, so they locked him up again.
Me: ?
STUDENT: Jose
GRADE: 10th
Me: Jose, how do you plan to graduate with grades like this?
Jose: I don’t know.
Me: Are you not interested in school?
Jose: School’s okay.
Me: Then what’s the problem? Why aren’t you doing the work?
Jose: I don’t know.
Me: Jose… What do you plan to do after graduation?
Jose: Play football.
Me: I hear you’re one of the best on the school team.
Jose: Yeah.
Me: Where do you plan to play football after high school?
Jose: College.
Me: College? Jose, I have to be honest with you. No college will accept you with grades like these. You’re a really smart guy, but you won’t get into college to play football unless you start applying yourself now.
Jose: So. I’ll still play.
Me: Where?
Jose: I’ll stay in high school.
STUDENT: Leiny (female)
GRADE: 11th
Me: What book are you reading for Independent Reading?
Leiny: Nothin’, mista’.
Me: Why aren’t you reading?
Leiny: I hate reading. It’s hard.
Me: I know reading is sometimes hard. But the more you practice, the easier it gets.
Leiny: I guess so.
Me: What do you like to read about?
Leiny: People. And, what’s that’s called—drama?
Me: Oh, so you like to read about people and the things they experience in life?
Leiny: Yeah. I like that.
Me; One of my favorite dramas is a new book called The secret life of bees. Have you read it?
Leiny: That’s a book?
Me: Yes. It’s about a girl a few years younger than you and the experiences she has growing up. Would you like to read it for Independent Reading?
Leiny: Nah, mista’. I hate books. In 200 pages in a book, 190 suck. I only read magazines.
Me: Magazines? Which ones?
Leiny: Deli store ones.
Me: What kind of drama is in a deli store magazine?
Leiny: They be talkin’ about the stars and what they be doing. Ha! They more fucked up than me, mista’.
STUDENT: Maribel
GRADE: 9th
Maribel: I don’t like my teachers. They’re annoying.
Me: How are they annoying?
Maribel: They just are! They don’t do fun things. They just want us to work a lot.
Me: Your teachers aren’t trying to annoy you. I’m sure I annoy you in my class, too, but I’m just trying to help you.
Maribel: Nah, mista’. Before I use to think you were annoying. But now you’re mad cool.
Me: Oh? Why am I so cool now?
Maribel: Cause, mista’, you stupid. It’s funny.
posted by Mr. Downs at 8:18 PM
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