Summer School

This was my first ever of four weeks teaching summer school. I quickly realized that if the students hadn’t succeeded during the traditional school year, four more weeks of the same wouldn’t be too helpful, either. I need to be especially creative when finding ways to engage and teach these kids.

Of course, we still read and write together–but I’m trying to make it all acutely relevant to their lives. On Tuesday I wrote them a letter telling about me, and asked them to write back to me telling me about themselves.

Since then, they’ve been elaborating selected subjects from their letters into essays, which are going to be extremely interesting, judging from these highlights from their letters:

…when I was 12 I got shot in the face with a 22 revlover it took out 4 teeth and creaked my jaw bone realy bad but anyways I play the electric gutair/drums.

…When I grow up I want to be a teacher or a vetenarian. It is going to be hard to be a vetenarian because I have allergies toward cats.

…I have ten brothers and one half sister. Some times i am at the point were I just want to leave home for a couple of days because they drive me nutts…. I ain’t a gurly girl. I am a country girl. I have lived in the country most of my life. But we had to move because the landlord got mad because my brothers always tore up his land so he kicked us out.

…Last year my dad got married on July 7, 2007 at 7:00 pm then when Christmas came my dad started to get sick and then when new year came my dad was in the hospitial and on feberary 9, came my dad pass away at 4:15 he died of C.O.P.d. and C.h.f. I miss him and when my mom got a new boyfriend and he cheated on her so my life is a mistory so I wish it could get better but if it cant then I haft to get better at life….

…I’m an avrge student. I don’t do much I wake up six o’clock in the mourning. I always climb trees and jump onto my trampoline. I do that for about two or three hours. I ride my bike for an hour.

…I hate school. school is a prison with wierdos in it.

…Some people believe when I say this but we have six and one half acres of land just for pepper. In fact I planted 6,510 peppers last year, all on my own…. In sixth grade I wrote a story of chicken world, I was hungry when I thought of the Idea. Also, Most people don’t know that I have 31 letters in my whole name.

…My dad and mom split up two years ago I was at church when they split but I was ok. My stepmom is really mean shes as mean as a cheatea not geting it’s food. She yells at my dad and doesn’t like jokes or anything. She does everything in the house that probley why she’s so mean and I help her sometimes but not offten….

…I like worken I’d rather work then go to school. I like farmen and driven the bobcat and tractor I have cows I live on a dirt road and I like driven my four wheeler through the creek.

…My Dad doesn’t live with me either he lives in D–. I don’t get to see him very often. The last time I saw him was on my birthday. I hope to see him again.

…My uncle Dennie was shot 3 years ago. I think about him alot. sometimes I wonder if they will ketch his killer. I got 10 Dogs, 11 miniature Horses. My favorite Horse is chip we call him that because He loves to eat Bar-b-que chip. On our horses shoing day we call it rodeo day because Kieth always ends up getting kicked in His nuts By a horse

…Right after school let out me and my went to go and see my Paralyzed cousin because he was sad and depressed, before we could go see him he ended up commiting suicide by drinking antifreeze me and mom didn’t know what to do but that I ended up meeting my dad the first time in my life and all my sisters and that’s in a nutshell what u didn’t about me since school let out.

…Whenever I was 6 years old my parents got a Divorce and when I turned 7 my mome comittied suiside…. My birthday is coming very soon. My dad Probably won’t even care. My dad lives in R– with my step mom and my little sister…. I miss her so much. I haven’t seen her since last thankgiving for only 3 days and that’s it.

…I hate school. I think its boring. I get in troble because I dont like school. I think [in-school suspension] is the funest class [after school detention] is fun because u dont have to do anything.

…Dear teacher person, I hate school but the only reason I come is because of [the school’s at-risk-youth program]. I like to hunt and fish.

…I don’t like math very much and I don’t like school either. I like to play football and to play outside…. I dont like writing or reading because I have to be moving or something because I hate staying still.