No Excuses

Today I had a revelation. I finally figured out how to make my life story, and my grief relevant to my students. After a toilsome day of childish arguments, a folder fight, and a child pretending to choke himself I pretty much thought that I'd had enough today. 3/4s through my last block I got to what must've really been my limit: after I'd already sat on the floor under a table with a student (amusing picture to you all I am sure), dealt with tears because a student accused another student of a homosexual kissing session (6th graders have wild imaginations), argued with two angry girl students about how they need to do their work in class even if they're mad...well I just about exploded!

That is actually just what I did. I stood in my "angry spot" in the classroom, bugged my eyes out a little, and with my angry vein throbbing I tried to stare each student in the eye as I said this (said or screamed, it's however you imagine it):

"I am sick and tired of you all making excuses for not doing your work. Where do you think excuses are going to get you in life?" (student response is a mumble that sounds to me like a combination of nowhere and jail...yikes!)

"Do you think that I got to be a teacher by making excuses my whole life?" (blank stares, wide eyes, I had their attention!)

"Now I am going to tell you a little bit about myself, I don't mean to be emotional, but I think that this is very important so listen up! I did not have an easy childhood growing up. I had to take on a lot of responsibility for my younger siblings, and I had to take care of my mother. Do you think that I went to school and made excuses about this? Do you think that I got into one of the best colleges in the country by making excuses?" (The students sat up, looked at me, I had struck a nerve)

"Now that I've shared this I want you to think about me as a person, because although I am a teacher I am also a person and I expect to be treated that way. Do you remember learning that someone in my family passed away a few weeks ago? (nods) Well, do I come into school everyday and tell you I can't teach because of this? No, I do not. So stop coming in here and thinking of every excuse you can in order to get out of doing work, because I am over it, and I am not accepting any excuses anymore, because it's not doing you any good."

Although, I would usually never share one of these lectures to my students on my blog, I felt that this one was very important. Through this little outburst I learned how to inspire my students through my grief and positively influence them despite this.

Tomorrow we are going to begin our NO EXCUSES campaign. In every block I am going to give a similar lecture as today and then I am going to have students write down all of the excuses they have ever made on slips of paper. We are going to display these excuses, and say goodbye to them forever. I am going to share short bios of leaders who did not let excuses stand in their way, and then I am going to let the students share their own stories and how they are not going to let excuses stand in their way. This will be an ongoing campaign for the rest of the year. Please feel free to send any ideas or resources that you have my way!