The Re-Education of Ms. G (Part 2)

The First Week-I love teaching! Yes, God has defiantly led me in the right direction. I don’t know why I did not do this sooner! These kids love me! I can tell they have a thirst for knowledge, and I am going to lead them to a love of literature.

I stood in front of my class and introduced myself. “Hello everyone, I am Ms. Glick. In have selected some very interesting text for us to cover this semester, I think you will all be excited about these.” The class smiled up at me. I was reaching them.

I turned on the overhead projector and began to explain the class rules. I gleaned over the school and district rules for information that applied only to my class. After a short reading of the class procedures, I had the students write a brief essay describing their life. I delighted in the fact that each head was bent diligently over their papers, and their hands moved with purpose across each page. Look at these wonderful young scholars, so eager to learn!As my very first class wrapped up, I collected the papers and gave each student my most approving smile. The bell rang and as I placed the papers in the folder marked “First Block” a student approached me.

“Uh, Ms. Glitch?”
“Yes.” I said with another approving smile.
“I just gotta tell you now, you prolly gone havta write me up a few times”
“Oh, I don’t think so. We are going to have a great semester! You’ll see.”
“Well, I jus think you need to know dat”

Let’s call this student “C.” Well, I have to admit, I was completely taken aback. Who comes up to a person they have never met, only to warn them about their behavior? C was going to be my personal project this semester. I knew he had already failed 10th grade 4 times. Well, Mrs. G would have none of that!I assigned a short story for homework, “The Cold Equations” by Tom Godwin. I had already devised an extraordinary lesson plan for this first assignment; the students were going to be deeply moved!

Before class started the next morning, I wrote the stylistic elements on the board that we would cover during the lesson. When the bell rang and the students began to file into the room, I greeted them with a smile.
“Good morning everyone! Okay, today we are covering suspense. Can anyone give me an example from last night’s reading of suspense?” not a hand was raised. How sweet! They are shy! They must feel intimidated by me. “Come on guys, don’t be shy! Can anyone give me one example?” still no hands. I assumed their apparent shyness was directly related to it being the first week of school. So, in order to relieve the tension, I had the students write one thing they remembered from the reading. After a few minutes, I asked the students to share what they had written. Again, no one wanted to volunteer!

“Ms. Glitch, day ain't gone ansu cause ain't nobody read.” C comments from the back row.
“C, I don’t think that is the problem. Okay, so who wants to tell me one thing they learned?” I asked again, this time a little more firmly. C begins chatting with another student in the back of the room. I make a conscious decision to ignore this. He is not going to get to me! “Anyone?” I ask again. “Okay, everyone take out your books.” C raises his hand. “Yes, C?”
“Uh, I ain’t got my book.” He smiles.
“It is the second day of class. What do you mean you don’t have a book?” I ask, getting a little perturbed.
“I fo’got it” he smiles.
“Well, look on with another student.” I say. “Okay, I want everyone to answer the five questions at the end of the story. You have 15 minutes and…” I see C’s hand waving in the air; he has a smirk on his face. “Yes, C?” I say in a voice that indicates I am clearly pissed off.
“Uh, I ain’t got no pencil.” He smiles.
“Well, borrow….” I begin.
“I ain’t got no paper either.” His grin spreads across his face.
“Are you serious?” I can feel myself loosing it. “Seriously??” oh here it comes! “This is an English class; chances are you are going to need a pencil and paper.” I snap. “How many people did the reading?” I ask the class. Not one had rises.
“See, I told you Mrs. Glitch. They ain’t read” He smiles.
“First of all C--- (I exaggerate each syllable of his name), it is Ms. G**** not Ms. Glitch. Second, if you guys are thinking that you can just breeze right through this class, you have another thing coming!” I am practically out of breath at this point. “The reading is THE most important part of this class; you will never be able to pass if you refuse to do the homework! What did you think I assigned that for? My health? Because I thought it would be fun? Because…”
“Uh, Ms. Glick, I read.” C smiles.
“Oh really, well why don’t you come up here and tell us all about it!” I smile sarcastically. C makes his way to the front of the room. He is a pretty large kid. I would guess about 6’2 or 6’3, 250 or 260 lbs.
“Well, Marilyn Cross is a passenger on a futuristic space craft.” He begins in the clearest, most intellectual speaking voice I have ever heard. I can feel my mouth gapping open.

After a 15 minute explanation of the story, including page numbers, he looks at me and smiles. After class, I asked C to stay a second. I apologized for underestimating him. “It’s okay Ms. G----; people do that all the time. But, I don’t want you to feel bad when you have to write me up.”
“Oh, I promise I won’t.” I smile.
“Aight, have a good day Mrs. G****.” He smiles back.
“You too, C.”

Oh this was going to be excellent! I was going to take C under my wing! I was going to be the teacher who believed in him! This was going to be my star student!

Over the next week I grew very close to C. I really began to like him as a person. He was smart, caring, and really did have a good heart. He wrote some of the most eloquent essays in the class, and it was interesting to watch how involved in the class he became.The next week, during a school pep rally, C was arrested for making gang signs and encouraging other students to join. His mother came to the school and withdrew him. I think he is in Adult Ed. now.