Why I Love C and D Students

Warning: this post is going to be long, sentimental, reflective, philosophical, and pictureless.  Read at your own discretion.

I teach two science classes, Earth Science and Physical Science.  Ironically, neither of these classes were offered when I was in high school, and each school treats them differently.  This is how my school describes them.
~Academic Earth Science -- A freshman-level class for students who did not take Algebra I in middle school.  This means very few high-level/honors students take this class.  Some type of earth science is required for graduation, but those students end up taking either Honors Earth (a junior-level class) or AP Environmetal Science.
~Academic Physical Science -- A junior or senior-level class for students who will not take chemistry or physics.  This usually means they haven't taken Algebra II (a co-requisite for chemistry) or they don't have the math skills to take chemistry ever.

In the teaching world, the word "academic" (non-honors classes) is almost like a four-letter word.  Veteran teachers rarely teach these classes.  They don't like the lower-level students or the basic material.  There are large percentages of honors students at my school that will never have a class with me or probably even know who I am because none of their friends take academic classes either.

A few days ago, I was describing my classes to a friend and he asked if I'll ever get to teach higher level classes.  The next thing I said really seemed to surprise him -- I don't want to teach higher-level classes.  I love my kids.  They come in hating science and leave... well, they probably leave still hating science, but hopefully a little less.

This is the first time I've had to say good-bye to seniors.  They took their exams earlier than underclassmen, and since yesterday, four of them have stopped by to say hey or to ask about their grades.  One has stopped by three times!  This time of year isn't fun when students fail (and I'm going to have some of those), but there is no greater joy than telling a borderline D/F student that he or she passed.  Last semester, I had three students who were taking Earth Science for the third time, and all three passed.  They were so excited, I think they were two seconds away from singing and dancing!  An honors teacher doesn't really get that experience.  They have to deal with students demanding an A when they end up with a 92 (a high B).  They have to deal with parents blaming the teacher for not putting in enough effort to teach their child.  My students' parents are very different from that.  They email me frustrated that their child is missing school because of a suspension or that they're not turning in work.  They thank me for my "patience and support" after a long semester.  They just want to see their child graduate, and passing my class with a D gets them one step closer.

Don't get me wrong, I have my share of frustrations.  Few days go by without the saying "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink" coming to mind.  I often feel as if I put in two tons of effort for every ounce of student effort.  I have 13 students with over 20 absences, several over 40.  This semester, I've had three students drop out or transfer -- one for a pregnancy, one for a drug violation, and one who just stopped coming because her mom never made her come.  I have students who are failing decide that they should go to sleep, text, or goof off in class, even when we're reviewing for an exam they have to pass in order to pass the class.  A week before the end of the quarter, I had a student with an 11 average and another with a 33 average.  They like to throw things, squirt each other with water, and think it's funny to take someone's phone long enough for the person to panic.  There are times when I've yelled (more than I'd like to count, unfortunately), lectured, or sat down in silent protest until they became less rowdy.  There are times when I've walked into my adjacent stockroom just for a moment to regain my composure.  Teaching is not an easy job, and teaching academic students REALLY isn't easy! 

That isn't to say I don't have some gems of students.  There are a few who have seen more episodes of "Mythbusters" and "Modern Marvels" than I have, something I would have thought impossible.  They ask intriguing questions, which means they're a) paying attention and b) curious, two things that excite me.  They sneak away when we're in the media center so they can find a book to check-out for fun.  They run into class telling me when they notice their shirt tag mentions polyester (something we covered in class) or they heard about a new planet being discovered.  There are students who jump two letter grades during the course of the semester because things finally start "clicking" with them.  There are students I had last semester (for freshman Earth Science) who visit regularly and ask when they can take Physical Science with me.  They smile at me in the hallway (well, most of them do...).

Can teachers make a difference in honors students' lives?  Absolutely.  I was an honors student, and I had some absolutely stellar teachers.  However, I love investing in my academic students.  I'm another adult (other than their parents) who wants them to succeed.  I don't give up on them.  I hand their test back to them if they don't even attempt the short-answer questions and tell them they need to try again.  I move them to the front so I can keep an eye on them.  I wake them up, take their distracting phones away, and force them to do their classwork.  Do some of them hate me?  Absolutely (I could give you a list right now...).  Do some of them appreciate the tough love?  Yeah, I really believe they do.  And that is why I love my C and D students.