teach them well

I was maxing and relaxing all up on cloud 9 yesterday. I was elated because the very much anticipated-sleep depriving-headache inducing-mad late first issue of the Onyx finally hit campus newsstands yesterday. And though sneakers and jeans have, unfortunately, become my unofficial senior year uniform, Tuesday I mustered up the energy to bring my old self back by doing my hair and strutting out in a pair of heels. So yesterday not only was I able to actually hold the product of months of hard labor but I looked damn good and felt great. There was pep in my step and no one could tell me nothing......

It's funny how a few hours can change a day.

There is a teen at the center who has special needs... I'll call him Keith. Keith's social, mechanical, and learning skills aren't like other boys his age. One thing he LOVES to do is his homework. On some nights he brings it for someone at the center to help him. I've worked with Keith a few times on his class assignments and I found helping him extremely difficult. I didn't know how to break down the homework questions in a way for him to understand. I figured that since I don't have any official training in teaching children with special needs I just didn't know how to truly help him without simply giving him the answers.

Proper training or not, yesterday it was immediately apparent to me that Keith's work is far too advanced for him. Last night he brought in a packet that is appropriate for someone who is at least five grades above him. At that realization I became infuriated. I was angry because he is yet another child who is haplessly drifting along this country's educational system. It is obvious that Keith has not learned much. I know that is partly due to his learning disabilities but it's also because people have constantly given him the answers which is basically equal to doing the work for him.

Not wanting to take the easy route out and not sure on how to help him learn the contents of the packet, I unfortunately told Keith that tomorrow he would have to talk to one of his teachers.

Once I told Keith, who is adamant about finishing his assignments every night, that he'd have to turn in his homework incomplete, he became agitated. I apologized to him several times and he frustratingly told me it was fine , though I knew it wasn't. When he quickly put on his jacket and left my heart broke. Tears welled up in my eyes as my mood unceremoniously tumbled off cloud 9.

That entire night at work my attitude was stale. I couldn't get Keith out of my mind. I have a severe Anne Sullivan/Miracle Worker Complex and it's real hard for me to turn a blind eye on someone in need.

Each youth worker at the center is given a case load. It our responsibilty to keep in contact with the teens in our load and stay up to date with their teachers and parents. My case load contains most of the teens that are considered "troubled". I guess it happened that way because the directors see my save the world mentality and know that most of the kids genuinely like me.

Recently Keith was added into my case load. I wont front, I am a bit overwhelmed and intimidated by the task that's ahead of me but I'm going to try my hardest to hold my kids back from slipping through the cracks.