Perspectives

Last night I attended the graduation exercises for Tooele High School. This is the first year I've ever attended Tooele's graduation. Last year I would have only known a small handful of students, so I decided not to go. This year, however, was a landmark year because this was the first group of "my" kids. You see, I'm pretty well acquainted with the class of 2008. I've known them since they were little 8th graders. Some were much more obnoxious back then. Some have grown taller or wider. Some were much more innocent then.

My friend Marni and I went to graduation together. One of our main objectives in going was to see who of our "team" kids that we taught that first year, actually made it. We each had lots of students that year, but we (along with our other friend, Chad) had a group of about 40 kids whom we shared in a teaming situation. We wondered what had happened to all of them.

So, as the graduate's names were read we kept score. The grand total . . . . . 15. Yes, there were only 15 of those 40 or so students who actually graduated. Twelve of them walked as graduates of Tooele High School and 3 of them walked as graduates of Tooele South Campus, the alternative school. What happened to the other 25 or so?

After a little more research today, we found out that about 4 more of them should finish up over the summer in Adult Ed. and one more has passed his GED while being locked up for breaking probation. (He broke his probation after another student from the same group of kids got his 24 year old pregnant girlfriend to buy them alcohol. He is no longer in jail, but is in a rehab facility.) Besides the one who is soon to be a father there is also a mother in the group. She dropped out long ago (something to do with parents perhaps being deported and she was left on her own). Another boy dropped out at some point this school year. He is about 10-11 credits short. That's all we know. There may have been 2 or 3 kids in the group who might have actually moved away, but we think most of them are still in Tooele somewhere. What happened to them?

This just put things into some sort of perspective for me. I've had some interesting thoughts and feelings this week about kids that I've taught and school in general. In a yellow folder I have a a collection of nice notes and thoughts that kids have written and given to me to tell me I'm doing a good job. Kids like me. They tell me I'm a good teacher, I'm their favorite, I'm the best math teacher, etc. The folder itself was actually a "yearbook" that my 3rd period class made for me on Tuesday because they wanted to sign mine, but I didn't buy one. I even had two people cry at me today because I am leaving Tooele High. One was a staff member and the other one was a student.

It makes me feel good to be missed, but I also realize that I am in no way a miracle worker. There is still work to be done. I got my CRT scores back yesterday for two classes. The results: 52% and 56% for class averages. The highest individual score was a 90% and there were three scores in the 80's. That's it. Why didn't they do better? What happened? This particular group of students will get calculated in Tooele's AYP for math. Honestly, we probably won't pass AYP in math for what is now the umpteenth year in a row.

What happened to those other 10 or so kids who were 8th graders only a few years ago? How did we let them fall through the cracks? Where did they go? What are they doing? Ultimately it is the student's responsibility as individuals to make their own decisions and do what they do, but what is our job as teachers? What is our role in "saving" all of these kids. I don't know. At least stuff like this keeps me humble. I'll keep the yellow folder for those days I need to be reminded that I AM doing a good job . . . but I'll also keep the program of the graduation in that yellow folder to remind me of all of those kids who didn't graduate. There is always room for improvement.

Have a great summer!