...and what i mean by that is, deal w/ special education students. who have issues. lots and lots of issues, sometimes. but, on those rare days when you FINALLY make a connection, or see them succeed and their internal lightbulbs go off, saying, "hey, this feels pretty good! maybe i should keep doing my homework and studying for tests so i can continue feeling this way!" sometimes, they never have that lightbulb, or it dims quickly, but it's those moments i hope for.
one happened today. well, sort of. it happened a few weeks ago, but we got back the test results today.
one particular student who i LOVE working with is a beautiful, kind-hearted young lady who is a senior this year. she doesn't have a mean bone in her body, & is so quiet and shy that i often am reminded of myself when i was in high scool (maybe that's why i like her so much). she is very bright, but has struggled in math throughout school despite accommodations for her visual condition.
background to this story is, each student in AK has to pass the State of AK HSGQE, or the high school graduation qualifying exam, in order to get their diploma at graduation instead of a certificate of completion (big difference when it comes to getting a job or going on to postsecondary education/vocational program). all students take the test for the first time in the spring of their sophomore year, and if they don't pass it that time (or certain sections, like reading, writing, math), take it each fall and spring until they do pass it. This means that students have, if needed, 5 times to take the test while in high school, and can come back to re-take it after graduation in some cases.
This particular student just took the math section of test for the 5th time last month. Which means, if she didn't pass, she wouldn't get a diploma at graduation next month. No pressure, right?!? Not to mention the emotional toll that i'm sure it's taken on her and her self-esteem....poor thing, because she is such a sweetheart and the test in NO WAY accurately portrays her level of intelligence or immense amount of effort and heart she puts into everything.
today was trash pick-up day, or earth day, and the whole school goes out to clean up the town. it may seem counterintuitive to let high school students out loose on the town, but usually we turn it into a competition of sorts between the classes to motivate them to help out the town (and prepare it for the upcoming tourist season). i went out with the senior class, picking up waaaaay too many gross nasty cigarette butts to feel very clean right now. but i digress...
on the way back to the bus pick-up location, i ran into my student. she asked if i'd heard about her test; of course, i hadn't. with a HUGE grin on her face, she told me that she PASSED the math section! by about 100 points over the minimum score required!! she's usually not a touchy-feely person, but she was hugging everyone and couldn't stop smiling - it was obvious what a relief she was feeling after the past 2 years of trying and failing. we happened to see her mom walk a nearby block and got to share the results with her as well; more hugs! it was such a great moment to be a part of.
i called my boss to let her know since she's home with an injured child, and she was very happy to hear. when we got back from cleaning up, the school counselor stopped by our room and asked how much i get paid for math tutoring. very confused, i said i'd never done it (i did chemistry last fall...) - which he pointed out that i work with this student. i tried to clarify, as i work with her DURING class in the regular school day, which isn't tutoring (although it is, kinda) but i definitely don't get paid for it, or extra like i was assuming he was talking about. he had stopped by to share the good news with me, which was really nice. when i later let my boss know how many points the student had passed by, she said it was because of me working w/ the student every day; as i said, i sit next to her but rarely have to say anything beyond "yes" or "no" as she does most all the work herself. in that particular situation, i simply consider myself a supportive cheerleader, who gently prods her in the right direction occasionally. but regardless of whomever did the work, i am SO proud of her.
the rest of this year could turn to crap, but as long as i remember this day, i will make it through.
THIS IS WHY I DO WHAT I DO! <3
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