Successes and Failures of Coach Schewel

Abe's blog about his successes and failures during his first year teaching offered the good and bad of teaching in Mississippi. In his blog about failure during the year, Abe talked about Odis, a student who he thought he could have done more for. Abe described Odis as a student whose appetite for learning dwindled as the year progressed. When Abe first met Odis during his fall semester Odis had a confrontation with another student, which caused Abe to intervene; however, Abe's handling of the situation earned Odis' trust, and he worked hard in the class from that point forward. But 4 weeks into the semester Odis learned that he had been in the wrong class and transferred out of Abe's class to attend the correct class. In the spring, Odis returned to Abe's class but his attitude towards learning was not the same. Sometime between Abe's encounters with him in the fall and the beginning of spring semester, Odis had given up on succeeding in school. Although Abe still tried to reach out to him, offering him extra help after school and rides home, Odis never took up Abe's offer and eventually stopped going to school. In the end, Abe described Odis' "spirit and attitude" towards school as "broken".

Although Abe described his relationship with Odis as a failure, I'm not sure how he could've done more for him. Odis' story is unfortunate and disheartening, but it seems like Abe took the time to figure out what was happening in his life and attempt to get him back on the right track. Maybe Abe felt like he could've done more, but overall one person can only do so much (especially when they have a hundred other students) and the bad circumstances in Odis' life undoubtedly outweighed any good that Abe tried to do. Ben has discussed with us on numerous occasion the heartache that a teacher feels when they see a student with potential who succumbs to the (excuse my french, but...) fucked up conditions that they have to deal with outside of school. I think Abe's "failure" story, is simply another one of the difficulties faced by Teacher Corps teachers during their 2-year experience. Overall, I don't really see this story as a failure. Not because everyone goes through it, but because I really do feel like Abe tried to do what was right for the student. Sometimes its just not enough.

In other news...

Abe's success blog, showed how good classroom management can result in a better classroom experience for the teachers and students. Abe said that his classroom management skills improved greatly between first and second semesters, thus leading to a more effective teaching style during his second semester. Abe found that being more strict from the beginning of the semester, establishing a routine to his classroom, and having well thought-out lesson plans helped him teach more effectively while also giving him more free time and allowing the students to learn more. One of the things that he found helpful during his second semester was having a set structure for the beginning of class which every student knew that they had to adhere to everyday. the more structured classroom setting led to, in Abe's words, "a more peaceful learning environment" second semester. In addition, many of Abe's students reported that his class was the one they had learned the most in all year.

I think Abe's success story points out the importance of having a highly structured classroom. Although, I've previously condemned the imposition of obedience within schools, I think Abe's success story points out the ways in which order is a necessary part of learning especially for kids in Mississippi. Structure, when not oppressive, is calming and allows students to feel safe or at least in control of their own actions in the classroom,. I think this structure becomes even more important in Mississippi where many of the kids are "high-risk" or come from relatively chaotic neighborhoods and homes. If school is just as chaotic as home life than kids aren't going to be willing or able to learn. But by making school a safe, structured space, Abe was able to have a good second semester and become a better teacher. One year down, one (or more) to go.