For our first genre reflection I could not get the struggle I'm having in working with students who will not do the work. They can do the work, they simply refuse to do it. I have dubbed them the "will-nots" and they are definitely the most trying part of some of my days as a student teacher. Especially since I see some of them in two classes with the same behavior. 8th grade is too young to be so checked out and disinterested in school in my opinion.
As part of allowing myself a release, I wrote a short poem about these "will-nots" as a way to give my struggle a voice. I keep trying and hoping to have some small success with these students - thank goodness there are still many months of the school year left. Perhaps I will be able to write a counter to this poem later this year about a small success with one of my "will-not" students.
The Will-Nots
In class they sit at tables or at desks
some apt and ready
some wanting to rest.
There’s the eager to learn,
Who refuse to fail
they work and they strive
good grades will prevail.
Then come the ones who try -
always doing their best
working through their frustration
refusing to rest.
There is one group left - the most baffling of all -
the puzzling will-nots
who seem eager to fall.
They are the ones who can-do
but simply won’t
not even to avoid a phone call to home.
They care not, they will not
an F is just fine
this soon to be teacher worries about their decline.
What can I do say or ask
helping the will-nots is no easy task.
I wish that these will-nots could fast forward time
To see the ripples of their 8th grade decline
Next year is high school - the hardest one yet
where F is a failure with no safety net.
I only hope that one day this year yet,
My message is one the will-nots will get.
Mrs. Tolbert,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your poem with us! As I listened to you read it out loud, I couldn't help but picture a few students in my own classroom. You were definitely able to capture both the image of the student and the struggle of the teacher in this beautiful and creative poem.
I think that as teachers, sometimes this is the biggest struggle for us. We just want our students to succeed and nothing we can do will get through to them but there is hope that maybe something you did or said will finally sink in -- someday. Thank you again for sharing!
-Ms. Dawson
Thank you for sharing this reflection with us! I really appreciated how you expressed your frustrations in a way that still respects these types of students. I know you will find a way to motivate these students because you will be such a great teacher! Thank you again!
ReplyDelete-Ms. Rodriguez
Keely,
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved this poem! It was fun to both listen to and read and highlights a very frequent problem, in middle schools especially. Thank you for sharing this! I think that the "will-nots" create an interesting avenue for teacher research. I'm glad that you identified this problem in such a creative and entertaining way. Great work!
Alexis
"I think that the "will-nots" create an interesting avenue for teacher research." Indeed, they do! Great idea, Alexis.
DeleteKeely,
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU for sharing something a lot of us struggle with but don't really like to talk about. I think as Student Teachers, it's easy to assume that we are the only ones that deal with students that don't care. However, the truth is that we are always going to have "will-nots" in our classroom. I especially liked the last two lines of your poem, and I appreciate the fact that you are not losing faith in those students. Sometimes it's nice just to get out our feelings about the "will-nots." Thank you again!
Sarah
Keely,
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved your reflection! Poetry is something that is difficult for me so it was awesome to see someone do it so well. I think you captured the desire for the Will Nots beautifully. I can tell that you genuinely care about your students and how much you want for them to succeed. Thank you for sharing it with us and allowing us to connect with you and your experiences through it!