THE IMPORTANCE OF RAPPORT

Before I attended the conference, my colleagues warned warn me about the grandmother.  "Be careful what you say; she's very combative."  "I was afraid of her."  "She's argumentative."  I decided to suspend my judgment until I actually met the woman.  When I walked in, most of the teachers were there and everyone looked uncomfortable.The woman was a nutmeg colored, middle-aged grandmother with a stern expression and a notepad. 


When it was my turn, I did not sound angry, but I did not hold back. I was the only black teacher this boy had, but he was just as disruptive in my class as he was in his other classes.  I told the grandmother exactly what the boy had been doing when I wrote the referral and had him removed from my class.  The grandmother complained that I did not give him time to make up the assignment.  I said, "I refuse to give two days to answer three questions."  She winced but she said nothing.

I think my presence made a difference for the grandmother. I am black; and I'm also a grandmother. Although I did not have the awsome task of raising a grandchild, I could empathize.  I knew she was advocating for her grandson, and I could tell she wanted to keep the facts straight by writing down significant information, such as missing work, on her notepad.  I did not judge her and I was not afraid of her. She called me the next day and we talked about the challenges of caring for a grandson who caused so much trouble at school.  I told her to hang in there; she only had one more year to go before he graduated, and we laughed.  The student improved once he knew that I had a rapport with his grandmother.  He completed his work and he passed the FCAT!  Sometimes, it is difficult to connect with a student who seems insubordinate and disrespectful.  However, showing that we care does make a difference.


Many black teachers leave the profession after five years.  The New Year calls for a renewed resolution to teach black students diverse, relevant, meaningful lessons that help them to understand the world they live in.  Black, twenty-first century teachers have a unique challenge: undo the internalized self-hatred, learned helplessness, and irresponsibility that keep black students from succeeding in school.  Black educators must continue to correct the misinformation and lack of information that have caused our students to fail and drop out.  Teaching is not easy, but we do make a difference.


Many of my students did not want to write a college essay; but I think it was a good way to prepare for their senior year when they might have to write a real one. They can use the information when conducting interviews for college. Brian Jeffery provides many outstanding resources on his website. However, I especially like the college essay because students write a Personal Statement and an Analytical Essay.


http://mrjeffrey.com/


All teachers should be teaching students to write well. English teachers should not be the only ones teaching reading and writing. Writing Fix is sponsored by the Northern Writing Project. The site contains writing resources across the curriculum.