Students that are struggling with course content (in my case, English).
Students who struggle with behavior in class.
Students who struggle with attendance.
My ELA focus list contains the students that I tutor in English and spend most of my time with.
However, behavior students also get to spend time with me in the form of Leadership Lunches. Once a week, I meet with two groups of five students for behavior coaching during their lunch period. We talk about things that we can do to be good leaders, what it means to be a good leader, our goals for behavior, etc.
My first group met for the second time today. Last meeting, we came up with a group name; the Burritos. It was a contentious vote on the team name, but Burritos it was. Now, one of my students in class always mentions that he is a Burrito. I use it in class to redirect those students by saying "Is that how Burritos act in class? Didn't think so."
So today in our meeting we tried to list things that we've done over the last week that are good things, things that good leaders do. Everyone could think of at least one thing, so that was a positive! However, two burritos got in a fight during class and had to be sent to the office. Baby steps!
One thing that always makes me smile is how happy the students are to get their invitations to lunch. They hold onto those papers more tightly than they do any of their actually important home work assignments. Students who are cooler than cool can't help but excitedly ask where they should meet me after they get their food. We also have a lot of students that ask us to be able to come to the lunches. I think we're doing an effective job at hiding the fact that students HAVE to eat with us because their teachers referred them to the behavior intervention program. :)
Tomorrow I meet for the first time with my other group of students. I have high hopes for them, but I'm a little nervous. This is the big leagues as far as behavior problems goes; we take the worst-behaved kids and stick them in a room together and handle it like champs. I gotta get pumped!
My student that I made the reading deal with switched his choice to Hunger Games, which I had also suggested. Yesterday, I asked how it was going and he said, "boring." I was incredulous. Today, however, he said it was going well and he asked if he could borrow the second book after he finished this one! I said of course!! Now I have to get my hands on Catching Fire...
My cursive-loving student finished the alphabet! He had me write it out on a piece of paper so he could practice at home. As long as he has that love of learning, he is going to be just fine.
Tonight I joined the choir at my church! The old choir director left, and so did most of the choir, so it was the perfect opportunity for a mediocre singer to jump in! I've secretly always wanted to sing in a choir, and I am taking full advantage of this chance!
Things are going really well down here, I feel like I'm making at least a small difference for every student I come in contact with, and that makes it all worthwhile. :)
By the way, it got up to 85 today.
No comments:
Post a Comment