Throughout each day of teaching, I am more and more preoccupied with the question of what could make a significant difference in the lives of unmotivated students. (There are just so many.) What do they really NEED?
Their most pressing need is certainly not the knowledge of what a gerund is or how to write a 5 paragraph essay.
And I know that ultimately the answer to their greatest need is "Jesus", but this is a public school and I am looking more for what could be done within the given parameters to improve these kids' lives and attitudes in the here and now.
I'm left feeling rather helpless. Although the teacher is expected to deal with the brunt of the behavior issues day after day, there seems precious little that can be done in the classroom during the 45 minute window that will make a meaningful impact. Especially since what these kids really need is individualized attention and in the classroom they are competing for 1/20th of the teacher's regard.
My suspicion is that what is missing from a lot of the most troubled kids' lives is a strong male role model. Is there a way to connect stable, caring men with these students outside of school hours? How would that work?
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