Teaching Hope: Challenges

This section of the book was particularly difficult to read.  Just about all of the entries evoked a lot of sadness and, in some cases, a sense of hopelessness.  One of my biggest fears as a future teacher is that I will not be able to provide all of my students with all of the kinds of support that they need.  Like Erin Gruwell mentioned in the introduction to this section on challenges within the classroom, her students carried with them “all kinds of baggage” and it was often overwhelming; she’s a teacher, not a social worker.  But, just like the other teachers in this section, she tries her best to help give her students the support they need.  The sad thing is, sometimes even that isn’t enough.

The entry that stood out most to me was #23.  It was different from many of the other entries because it involved a student whom one might not consider “at risk” right away; Kate is an incredibly driven academically and came from a family of Ivy League educated parents, much unlike the other students we have heard about thus far, who tend to lack academic motivation and come from families with parents that did not go to college and possibly didn’t even finish high school.  However, Kate is a victim of bullying because she is so focused on her academics and places them well above her social life.  In fact, she doesn’t really have a social life.  Unless she is extra observant, a teacher may not notice this right away, or many not consider it to great of an issue if the student is maintaining excellent grades like Kate.  However, this entry served as a reminder of how important it is to keep close watch over each and every student, no matter how academically driven they are.  I lost my cousin to suicide in 2012, and no one—including his teachers—saw it coming.  He was bright, charismatic, and had a lot of friends.  But no one knew the battle he was fighting inside until it was too late.  So, in a way, this entry frustrated me.  I hated how the teacher spent so much time watching Kate but never really did anything to help her.  I never want to let myself lose a student, especially if it means wondering if there was something I could have done to help them.  So I will be sure to voice each and every concern I may have regarding their emotional/mental wellbeing.