Just Part of the Job

There’s a student in one of my Fresh/Soph classes who has crippling OCD and ADHD.  He simply cannot sit still and can be extremely disruptive during class.  He calls out, interrupts both his teachers and fellow classmates, and rarely remembers to complete homework assignments.  Sadly, many teachers have no patience for him.  They yell at him to sit down and to stop interrupting almost every period and everyday.  Unfortunately, this only frustrates him more and makes him get very down on himself.  It makes him feel like he’s a bad person.

I say it’s sad because I’ve been able to get to know him over the last two months and we’ve actually established a nice relationship. If you take the time to talk and LISTEN to him you will find that he is actually a very polite and intelligent young man.  He excitedly greets me every morning and has grown comfortable enough to come to me for help with his assignments and for advice on some of his anxiety issues.  I read a short story that he wrote and was blown away by his writing ability and creativity.

As a teacher I hope to be able to continue to build this kind of rapport with my students.  In my experience over the last 3 years, I’ve found that I’ve been able to do that with a lot of the “problem” students in the school.  Something as simple as finding a common interest and talking about it with them can completely change your relationship.  Most students just want to know that you care about them and are willing to give them your time.  That shouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience.