In order to help our vulnerable students improve their chances of success with the common core, we must first change their attitude about their education. Here are a few suggestions that may help with their outlook:
1.Make the Extra Effort - Take the time to ask how they are. Greet them when they enter the room, at home and at school, show them that they are worth your time.
2. Show Empathy - Find out from the student what their basic needs are. Most students that are struggling at school are also struggling at home or in other areas of their lives. Ask them about it, then show them that you care by really listening to them and offering any suggestions you may have for their dilemma. Sometimes just being heard is enough for them to want to change their complete attitude about being in class and giving their best.
3. Show Enthusiasm. Be excited to listen to whatever they have to tell you whether it's related to school or something outside of school. Vulnerable students have been led to believe that they are not important; that they really don't matter. If you want to reach them, you must show them that what they have to say is important, whether its related to school or not. I give a survey at the beginning of the school year to find out what their interests are. Once I have collected that information, I now have intentional conversations regarding their interests. This builds a new bond between you, as an adult, and the student. I even go so far as to tell them I don't know ANYTHING about their hobby and then ask them to teach me about it.
4. Be Excited. Be excited to help, to listen, to just sit and talk about nothing. Vulnerable students need to feel that what they have to say is important. They need us to actively listen and question them about what is important to THEM and be excited about the fact that they are coming to YOU to share their information, good or bad.
5. Be Emphatic. We, as the adult, need to be as firm as we can (without being pushy) about the importance of their success in education. Many of our youth have checked out of the system. They no longer believe that learning is a or should be a top priority for them. It is our job to convince them that a better life really does exist and it begins with attaining a solid education.
These 5 things are easy enough to implement if we but take the time with our students and show them that they are of interest to us. A few minutes out of the day to encourage our youth will go a long way both at school and at home.
What strategies, as parents or educators, have you used successfully to reach kids that have checked out? Please share with us!!!
