I tried envisioning these students in a mainstream public school. I could see the detentions and suspensions. I could easily understand all of their trips to the director's office. I could see their "lack of motivation," and oh, of course their "lack of attention." I could see teachers getting fed up with them and understand how they'd slowly, but surely, fall behind until they could no longer keep up at all. And then I could see them dropping out, getting expelled and in a nutshell... fall through the cracks.
I began my volunteer position at an alternative high school yesterday. Students range from ages 14-17 and all have somehow slipped through the cracks of the educational system. Many have been expelled from school after school after school. Others have managed to somehow avoid school for several years.
We began the morning with a "check-in" and students rated their mood from 1 to 10 and then shared a "brag" and a "drag." One girl shared that her "drag" was that she had been arrested yesterday and now was facing conditional charges. I tried to not let the disbelief show on my face.
Throughout the day the students were given regular smoke breaks and fuck no longer had any meaning. It was a common word in their vocabulary. Conversations involving drug use were quite common and one student showed up high.
I worked with several students one-on-one on various academic assignments. All of them were behind "age-appropriate" material. They needed constant prodding and reminding to stay on task.
While working there I was amazed by the efforts of the teacher and social worker to connect with these students and to meet them exactly where they were at. It was beautiful.
My heart broke knowing that these students had fallen through the cracks. Every one of them had been too difficult, or too lazy or not motivated enough or had too many problems for someone to deal with. They were just too much.
And my heart breaks for these "too" children. These children who don't have many-- if any-- advocates. These children who have experienced way too much life to fall into the "children" category, yet are way too young to be "adults."
I loved a poster I saw on their classroom wall:
Every person you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.
Ah, what truth. I feel a little dizzy thinking about the individual battles each of them is fighting.
I began my volunteer position at an alternative high school yesterday. Students range from ages 14-17 and all have somehow slipped through the cracks of the educational system. Many have been expelled from school after school after school. Others have managed to somehow avoid school for several years.
We began the morning with a "check-in" and students rated their mood from 1 to 10 and then shared a "brag" and a "drag." One girl shared that her "drag" was that she had been arrested yesterday and now was facing conditional charges. I tried to not let the disbelief show on my face.
Throughout the day the students were given regular smoke breaks and fuck no longer had any meaning. It was a common word in their vocabulary. Conversations involving drug use were quite common and one student showed up high.
I worked with several students one-on-one on various academic assignments. All of them were behind "age-appropriate" material. They needed constant prodding and reminding to stay on task.
While working there I was amazed by the efforts of the teacher and social worker to connect with these students and to meet them exactly where they were at. It was beautiful.
My heart broke knowing that these students had fallen through the cracks. Every one of them had been too difficult, or too lazy or not motivated enough or had too many problems for someone to deal with. They were just too much.
And my heart breaks for these "too" children. These children who don't have many-- if any-- advocates. These children who have experienced way too much life to fall into the "children" category, yet are way too young to be "adults."
I loved a poster I saw on their classroom wall:
Every person you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.
Ah, what truth. I feel a little dizzy thinking about the individual battles each of them is fighting.
