Week 2: Response to Heather

"How much greatness are we willing to grant?"

I had to ask myself this today regarding a student. There is a particular student, we'll call him Sam, who sometimes refuses to work. If he likes what he is doing he'll do it for a while and produce something amazing. If he doesn't like it, he just sits there. I have been highly frustrated with him. You can imagine how boring my theatre class must be to have a student who can't find anything interesting in it and decides to just sit there. Grrr.
Well after reading this chapter I realized I had already assigned him the role of "lazy, defiant, too smart for his own good." So have many of my colleagues. He is difficult, yes. But does that make him any less valuable? Does that mean that I shouldn't challenge him like I do my other students? That I shouldn't create lessons that will excite and entice him?
So, I only have 2 more weeks with Sam. I will make the best of it and hope that I will remember this lesson next year when he is in my class again. I will grant him more greatness and cater to that greatness.

Heather,
Forgive yourself and see that although you feel you did not give him enough greatness you did make a contribution by trying to work with him. You did recognize that he was worth your time and showed him you believed he had value. Teachers encounter many Sams along the way and I beleive can all learn a lot about granting and celebrating greatness in those students who do not believe they have any and compensate by hiding or misbehaving.
Ellen