The student population demographics are as follows:
*Disclaimer - much of my post is based on observations I have made about my own students, along with discussions I have had with other educators about their students at my high school
Many of the students are in households in which they would be the first person in their family to graduate high school. Most are in households where they would be the first to go to and graduate from college. Because of various influences, there is a pervasive feeling amongst many students that they do not need to succeed in class the first time they take it. In the past, many students were given the option of computer based credit recovery that is viewed as an easier option than the traditional classroom. Teachers in those classrooms have been known to make things easier for some students to get the credits they need to graduate. There is a lack of motivation to succeed in classes that have a credit recovery option. Since many students come from household where parents, siblings, and other relatives did not graduate from high school, the students have a different measure of success that does not include a high school diploma. I think this has influenced how teachers approach different students. Many students are written off as not going to be successful or a problem. Many teachers develop activities that are easy to plan and implement, so that when (imagine this from the perspective of a jaded, tired teacher) “they refuse to do their work, it won’t be too upset because it didn’t take much of my time.” Some of these students are not given a chance to succeed and may only need a little extra support to build self-confidence. These students sometimes “perk up” when given the chance to participate and contribute something to the classroom.
Many of the students are in households in which they would be the first person in their family to graduate high school. Most are in households where they would be the first to go to and graduate from college. Because of various influences, there is a pervasive feeling amongst many students that they do not need to succeed in class the first time they take it. In the past, many students were given the option of computer based credit recovery that is viewed as an easier option than the traditional classroom. Teachers in those classrooms have been known to make things easier for some students to get the credits they need to graduate. There is a lack of motivation to succeed in classes that have a credit recovery option. Since many students come from household where parents, siblings, and other relatives did not graduate from high school, the students have a different measure of success that does not include a high school diploma. I think this has influenced how teachers approach different students. Many students are written off as not going to be successful or a problem. Many teachers develop activities that are easy to plan and implement, so that when (imagine this from the perspective of a jaded, tired teacher) “they refuse to do their work, it won’t be too upset because it didn’t take much of my time.” Some of these students are not given a chance to succeed and may only need a little extra support to build self-confidence. These students sometimes “perk up” when given the chance to participate and contribute something to the classroom.
Murphy, R., & Daniel, A. (2015, December 08). Seguin
ISD (Public Schools). Retrieved February 05, 2017, from
https://schools.texastribune.org/districts/seguin-isd/
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