The Last Year

I’m sure that some of you surmise by previous comments that I teach. As I’ve said before, it was my midlife crisis. Not only did I survive the change, but so did Mick. He has put up with and has forgiven all the insanity that goes in preparing to become a teacher, as well as, the increased madness of the job. For the past five years, I have taught high school science, initially the physical sciences, chemistry, physical science and then for the past three years, I had biology added after I made the move from a traditional school to an alternative setting; I also had a class of physics this year. The last three years have been interesting and challenging; however, this last semester has been extremely difficult.

In the previous years and even last semester, the students were interested in graduating; however, the classes that I’ve encountered this semester have been completely lacking in focus and motivation towards an education. It is extremely disconcerting to see young people lacking in goals and to think that where they are is the best they’ll ever do. Most of the kids that I have taught have histories of all types of criminal behavior. Many are on probation, some even wear monitored ankle bracelets. There is a significant amount of gang activity; gang life is a substitute for the missing family structure. I’ve encountered Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings, MS-13, Vice Lords, plus local gangs.

In the state of North Carolina, several of the courses are required to take an EOC, end of course test, not merely an exam, but a state test that must be passed in order to graduate. Biology students must achieve a score of 3 or 4 in order to graduate. Physical science has an EOC, but the passing test score is not required for graduation; it’s merely used as a standardized final exam. Last year, my pass rate for biology was 50%. First semester of this year, the pass rate for both physical science and biology EOC’s was 67%. I was elated because these kids are low achieving, at-risk students.

The biology EOC was today. I hate to even see the scores, which will be back tomorrow. In a class of 32 students, only 16 even showed up. Of those 16, 1 slept, some answered only 4 or 5, insisting that they did not know it, that they had not had that before. It is difficult to keep up if you are continuously suspended. Some were creative in bubbling their scantron sheets by making designs. Once, I had a student to bubble a giant “G” on his answer sheet. However, at some point you must take responsibility for your actions and also take responsibility for your education,. These kids have been given multiple chances and many don’t accept them. The opportunities are thrown away like a discarded “blount”. The only escape from poverty is through education.

Some of the students that have entered our doorways are good kids, they’ve made a mistake; however, the majority of them are repeat offenders, they simply can’t function in a traditional middle class school environment. Many of them are respectful and are planning for college; for the others, profanity, disrespect, and ignorance is their norm and they are complacent in their environment.

Regardless of the category in which these young people fall, for those who survive, they are our future. They will either eventually pay our social security, some with their minimum wage jobs, or they will be supported as part of the prison system.

I am not a teacher, I am a chemist that became a teacher with the idea that I could possibly give something back and make a difference in the life of a youth. When you do make a difference, you don’t necessarily know that you have, you just have to believe in your heart that at some point you have made a difference. I have encountered many brilliant students in my brief teaching career. Some are pursuing careers in science, others in fields that are non-science related. Irrelevant of career path, they are successful; I like to think that I played a small part in their success.

This is the last year of what was labeled my “midlife crisis”. Some people get a motorcycle or sports car; perhaps that would have been easier, but there would have still been something lacking. The past five years have been an adventure. Every day has been different and a true learning experience. I’m certain that I have learned more than my students because with maturity, you realize the things that you don’t know and truly appreciate the process of obtaining the knowledge. Moving to Ecuador will be a continuous learning experience for both of us. We will relish every aspect of this adventure and savor it!