Alarm clock be damned.
Yesterday, in the middle of 1st period, I see A waving at me through the classroom window. A is in my second period class, but I assumed she has some work for me, so I quietly cross the room and slip outside. Sure enough, she hands me the first major assignment of the marking period. I smiled, said something like, "This is awesome A, thanks. Now, next on your list is the figurative language worksheet. You remember what that is? Good. I'll see you on Monday, okay?" She smiled and said yes.
A has a lot of stuff going on at home, some shuffling back and forth between parents and grandparents that is mandated by the courts. She is an extremely sweet girl... or rather, I should say she is extremely sweet to me. I get the sense that she can be extremely stubborn as well; as soon as someone tries to "force" her to do something, she might as well be a hundred-year-old oak tree for all the good it does to trying to move her. But she's really smart and probably would have gotten an A or B in the course if she had actually shown up to class.
That's the problem here: A rarely shows up to class. She's in my class for first block, and it's not even that she's intentionally skipping. Her grandmother leaves for work before A leaves for school, and A oversleeps eight out of ten classes. She'll often make it to class for the last fifteen minutes, if she shows up at all.
Today's interaction tells me that we're making progress. She has often showed up of her own volition, but never before to turn something in so soon. I can't make her show up to class on time, or even show up at all, but I can show her that I support her and want her to be there. She knows that my mentor and I are always happy to see her in class. She knows that we are always available to help her during our lunches or at the end of the day; I know she knows, because sometimes she does seek us out at those times. I can only hope though, that by putting our efforts into maintaining a good relationship with A and not limiting her options by taking her at her own pace, we're doing our best by her.
Edit, Nov. 9th: A was not in class yesterday (Monday) morning. Le sigh.
Edit, Nov. 12th: A was in class Wednesday and today (Friday). Progress!
A has a lot of stuff going on at home, some shuffling back and forth between parents and grandparents that is mandated by the courts. She is an extremely sweet girl... or rather, I should say she is extremely sweet to me. I get the sense that she can be extremely stubborn as well; as soon as someone tries to "force" her to do something, she might as well be a hundred-year-old oak tree for all the good it does to trying to move her. But she's really smart and probably would have gotten an A or B in the course if she had actually shown up to class.
That's the problem here: A rarely shows up to class. She's in my class for first block, and it's not even that she's intentionally skipping. Her grandmother leaves for work before A leaves for school, and A oversleeps eight out of ten classes. She'll often make it to class for the last fifteen minutes, if she shows up at all.
Today's interaction tells me that we're making progress. She has often showed up of her own volition, but never before to turn something in so soon. I can't make her show up to class on time, or even show up at all, but I can show her that I support her and want her to be there. She knows that my mentor and I are always happy to see her in class. She knows that we are always available to help her during our lunches or at the end of the day; I know she knows, because sometimes she does seek us out at those times. I can only hope though, that by putting our efforts into maintaining a good relationship with A and not limiting her options by taking her at her own pace, we're doing our best by her.
Edit, Nov. 9th: A was not in class yesterday (Monday) morning. Le sigh.
Edit, Nov. 12th: A was in class Wednesday and today (Friday). Progress!