The Thing About High School Students
Other than being the mouthpiece of the family, Mr. Davis, my father-in-law, and I share something else in common. We're both teachers at the high school level. Do you know how many times I hear, "Oh my! You must be a saint... I don't know how you do it!" Well, here's one example why we did/do it...
At the end of August, I announced to my students that my father-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer. That raised some eyebrows... and I told them that he, like me, was a teacher, and (unlike me) was an athletic director in Charlotte and probably one of the best people I have ever known. I told them that it was important to him to raise awareness that men, as well as women, could develop breast cancer. They were moved.
The other thing about teenagers is that they will do anything for food. :) So, I put my classes against each other. We started a per class collection. Each class had a pink jar to put money in. I promised the winning class a full meal cooked by myself. For one full month my students put money in their respective jars... some just change from their lunches, others, their weekly allowance. The competition heated up between 3rd (Astronomy) period and 4th (German 3) period. They were asking for daily totals, and outdoing each other at every turn. The last week, things fizzled a bit. I told them I wouldn't tell any class what the current total was until the winners were announced. In the end, for a little food and a whole-lotta-love my classes raised almost $600 in 3.5 weeks. Astronomy had the biggest total of $204.19 (done by just students) but German 3 won out when a parent wrote the Komen Foundation a check for $125.00 putting that classes total donation to $293.64.
While sometimes teaching teenagers isn't the easiest job in the world, there are certainly those other times that make it all worthwhile. Despite what some may think about teenagers in general, the ones I teach have shown that they are caring and considerate human beings and have contributed to this outpouring of love for my father-in-law who they have never met. Thank you to my students and the parents who raised good kids!!
~Rachel
At the end of August, I announced to my students that my father-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer. That raised some eyebrows... and I told them that he, like me, was a teacher, and (unlike me) was an athletic director in Charlotte and probably one of the best people I have ever known. I told them that it was important to him to raise awareness that men, as well as women, could develop breast cancer. They were moved.
The other thing about teenagers is that they will do anything for food. :) So, I put my classes against each other. We started a per class collection. Each class had a pink jar to put money in. I promised the winning class a full meal cooked by myself. For one full month my students put money in their respective jars... some just change from their lunches, others, their weekly allowance. The competition heated up between 3rd (Astronomy) period and 4th (German 3) period. They were asking for daily totals, and outdoing each other at every turn. The last week, things fizzled a bit. I told them I wouldn't tell any class what the current total was until the winners were announced. In the end, for a little food and a whole-lotta-love my classes raised almost $600 in 3.5 weeks. Astronomy had the biggest total of $204.19 (done by just students) but German 3 won out when a parent wrote the Komen Foundation a check for $125.00 putting that classes total donation to $293.64.
While sometimes teaching teenagers isn't the easiest job in the world, there are certainly those other times that make it all worthwhile. Despite what some may think about teenagers in general, the ones I teach have shown that they are caring and considerate human beings and have contributed to this outpouring of love for my father-in-law who they have never met. Thank you to my students and the parents who raised good kids!!
~Rachel
posted by Anonymous @ 8:53 PM
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