‘Student Stories’ Archives
Teach4Real Greatest Hits: My Boy Arthur Who Can’t Pass Algebra
After a year of blogging, I am posting some of my favorite pieces. I just re-read this piece on a former student of mine, and it is just as heartbreaking to read as it was to write. Unfortunately, this situation is happening again this year, over [...]
Navigating the Gauntlet
You’ll have to excuse me. I just broke up a fight between two gang members, by myself, without the help of security, so I’m writing this with some adrenaline. I want to keep that going because it is replacing the rage with which I usually write [...]
My Illegal Honors Student From Arizona
I just talked to a former student, we’ll call him Jorge, who is entering his first year at the University of California. He came in after school today, dressed a little older than I remember him, with slick sunglasses and slicker hair. He had a [...]
Notes From the First Two Days
I’m teaching all 9th graders. Before balancing, my classes are at 42 students. Classes won’t be balanced for two weeks. Let me say that again, I have 42 9th graders in a small classroom. It’s cool though, they wrote poetry today-EVERY SINGLE [...]
My Boy Arthur, Who Can’t Pass Algebra
I had this kid in my 10th grade “Strategic” class, we’ll call him Arthur. Strategic is what we call sheltered at my school, at your school it’s probably just as strategically named to try to unsuccessfully hide from the students the fact [...]