Question #2 Matthew Hallahan

What's one of the small successes you have experienced in your teaching practice this semester?

In my geometry class, I am doing much much better than last semester. Last semester i started out much too difficult, and i lost the students right away. I don't think I ever got them back.
This semester I am setting a much better pace. I am building up the students confidence by concentrating on stuff they can mostly already do that only requires a small reach extra. Most of them get 5 out of 5 on all the classwork assignments. They feel they are doing well and they feel smart and i think this is having a dramatic effect on their effort and behavior. The funny thing is, that while I am covering much less material as well as much more basic material than I did my first semester, the students are actually understanding more! Who would have guessed?!

Here's a heartwarming story from Rashad, who told me to "fuck off, white bitch" the first day of class.
Three weeks in to class, Im speaking with Rashad and another student, Sade. Sade understands a topic and gets excited and says "see im not stupid" Rashad turns his head and says
"man, Ms Meyers be calling me stupid everyday"
I say, " what! who calls you stupid?"
"Ms Meyers, she says Im stupid"
"Man that is rediculous, I've only known you for 3 weeks, and I can tell you're not stupid. youre really smart."
"Thats what Im talking about"
Rashad is pretty happy and noticeably proud of the work he's done in my class. His confidence is through the roof since that first day and his behavior turned 180 degrees.

Rashad continues, "sometimes i think about killing her"
"huh?"
"I get mad and i think about killing her."
"Well thats not good"
"Sometimes at night I dream about killing her, and i dont want to, but i do."
At this point i sort of run out of relevant things to say. Anyway, I included this last part of the story because its shocking and all, but my point is that these kids must feel stupid everyday, going class to class, unable to do the work assigned to them. Manageable work has had such a dramatic effect on this one troubled kid, and it has no doubt, positively influenced more.