As I read these chapters, I related on a couple of personal points. First, I did not grow up in a home with many books. My mother read all the time, romance novels, but very little to us. She read to escape from our life, the poverty, abuse, and lonliness of her life. Like Hick's mother, she had missed opportunities and had ended up in a marriage that wasn't what she expected. She wanted the best for us but she lived in a depression just trying to make it financially and emotionally. I, like Hicks, did well in school and was a good girl. No one at my home really seemed to care how I did as long as I stayed out of trouble, but I did well.
Second, I (like Ernaux) always felt on the outside and "was always worrying about social conventions." It always felt like everyone else knew how to behave and what to say, but I didn't. I always felt awkward and books were a means of escape for me like many other children.
Third, I had a child this past year (and it seems like every year) who was unsuccessful in first grade but for enigmatic reasons. She had gone through some family traumas during kindergarten and it had had an effect on her emotionally. While she had not breezed through kindergarten, she had learned her alphabet, sounds, and could understand a story. She did not have a good concept of word but she was on track to be successful in first grade. However, this was not to be!?! I worked with her in a group of three for guided reading and spelling all year long. I had a large variety of materials at my disposal including several level one anthology basals and several preprimer older basals. She also received title one services and early steps which amounted to one hour of tutoring each day. She made very little progress. She could not learn from whole group activities as she could not pay attention for more than a few minutes so most of her day was spent in small group settings. She was EC tested but didn't qualify because her IQ was pretty good and indicated that she should be able to do the work. Every person working with her did all we know to do but she was not successful in learning to read. In some ways, I think she has not been able to overcome the turmoil that is continuing in her life outside of school. Her father does his best, but he works two jobs. She spends 4 days with one parent and then 4 days with the other. Her mother has had several new boyfriends this year. She is being lost in the shuffle at home. I will continue to work with her next year and hope to find some new techniques that will help her be more successful. My desire is to develop a trusting relationship with her. It has taken me most of this school year to gain her trust and get her to open up, but this was only just beginning as the school year ended. I want to grow the relationship stronger next year.
Oops! I forgot my name! Christy Findley
Comments (3)
Isn't it amazing how some students open up almost immediately (even with difficult backgrounds)and others are like onions waiting to have the layers peeled back. I am thankful that you were at least able to get her to begin to open up by the end of the year. Hopefully, that will give her the connection to help her succeed this year!
On a different note, I used to really question the merits of most romance novels (especially the trashier ones). I hadn't thought of it much lately until I read your post, but my mom read them when I was a kid, too. She was in an abusive relationship as well. I guess I should have made the connection then, but I didn't deeply until tonight. Just as I used books to escape, my mother was as well. For me, that is the beauty of literature (in its many forms). While there will always be types of literature that appeal to me more, there is such a variety out there these days. How exciting that our students will have such amazing opportunities to connect with new literature (and "old" as well!
Posted by Christy Laws | June 25, 2010 12:32 AM
Posted on June 25, 2010 00:32
It is so sad to hear that a child suffers as the student in your room appears to be in class and at home. Imagine how hard it is to go from one home to the other every four days. That in itself causes a child to lose a great deal of stability. Then throw into that the fact that her mother appears to be more involved in keeping a boyfriend that helping her daughter. As a teacher, I think you are doing the best thing that you can do by building a relationship with her that provides her stability and attention that she seems to be lacking. I know that you can not do it all, but hopefully what you can do to help her will influence her in a positive manner.
Posted by Erin Whisnant | June 25, 2010 8:59 AM
Posted on June 25, 2010 08:59
There are so many children like Laurie who suffer through their parents' mistakes. Adults truly don't understand sometimes what they do really affects others more than they know, especially their children. Family structure and values are so different with each child. We see what the effects are, and it's sad yes to see this. We are more important to these kids than we know somedays, and are the only positive adult they have. I know we cannot change them all, but atleast we can give them all the love and encouragement we have to offer to make some sort of impact in their world, and I think every teacher has that desire in them, otherwise I don't think we'd be doing what we do.
Posted by Abby Boughton | June 25, 2010 8:27 PM
Posted on June 25, 2010 20:27