Failure is not an option.

Breathe in.  Breathe out.  

This is what I needed to tell myself several times as I realized 9 out of my 20 students did not bring their homework this morning.  I was initially annoyed because they know the classroom rules about homework and aren't demonstrating responsibility, but I fell into a deeper frustration as my mind began to wander.  Why aren't they turning in homework?  

• Did I not invest them in the purpose of homework?  
• Am I not holding them accountable enough?  
• Was the homework too much or too difficult?  

Ultimately, I decide that while I am responsible for MOST of the things that happen in my classroom, homework and the work done AT HOME is out of my locus of control most days.  I can write my weekly newsletter, I can call parents, I can communicate with students and invest them in the classroom goals and how homework is going to help us get there.  I can do all of those things and some of my students will still NOT DO HOMEWORK.  Aside from being annoying that my students are wasting the paper and ink it took to print 22 copies of each worksheet (which always irks me), I was deeply disappointed in the lack of effort shown by my students and their parents over the weekend.

I feel like I have been in an epic battle to get my 21 students to 3rd grade, and I am more than willing to fight the fight or else I wouldn't be here.  I wouldn't work day and night to maximize my effectiveness and rehearse teaching lessons in my sleep if I wasn't committed to this job and our kids. However, today, with those 9 students, I felt like I was in a fight without anyone else to fight with me.  I cannot do this alone. As teachers, we have power and authority within the walls of our classroom.  We are the leaders and instruction rests on our shoulders.  I truly believe this.  However, in the summer things are different.  The 4 hours a day I actually get to instruct my students IS NOT ENOUGH to get them where they need to be.  The 4 hours a day IS NOT ENOUGH to break all of the bad habits they acquired last year.  There is NOT ENOUGH time for me to do it alone.   

This is why I need the help of the parents.  I need students and parents to be working hard after school to fill in the gaps that I am missing.  I need parents to understand that this is a team effort and I cannot get their child to 3rd grade by myself.  I also need my students to understand that no one is going to hold their hand and make this happen for them magically.  This is real and I feel like some of my kids are not taking it seriously.  It saddens me that the potential of failing a grade does not terrify my students into taking this summer seriously.  Failure is not an option, but for so many of our students, failure has been accepted.  I am not accepting it.  


I let all of this frustration and turmoil kill my spirit today.  I let it take my joy and my smile.  After lunch I was able to look at Deedra and look at Trevon and remember why I am up at 4:00 every morning.  I thought about those 11 kids who came to school with their homework and spent the weekend reading and getting ready to pass their unit test.  I remembered that my job is to serve all of our students and when I lose my spirit, I fail.  I can't fail our kids again.  Failure is not an option.  I am not accepting it.  


So I challenge all of you, as I challenge myself to do tomorrow...find the joy in your classroom.  It might be one student, it might be one moment, it might be a hug or a kind word exchanged between children.  Find your joy. Write it down.  Tell a friend.  Put it somewhere in your classroom or bedroom to remind yourself why we are here.  We are here for Deedra, Trevon, and Zedrian.  We are here for LeDarrion (aka Big Pimp Daddy), Kwendolyn and Shakaunye.  We are here for the students of the Delta and failure is not an option.  Challenge yourself to find the joy tomorrow and keep it with you for the next 8 days.


Failure is not an option.