The small successess

Before my last test, I had a handful of girls who really wanted to do better (knowing they had failed the previous semester, or just barely passed). I scheduled some after-school tutorials (in place of my normal ACT tutorials) for Algebra II, and they actually came and did math for a full hour and a half 2 different days. Now keep in mind these are students who really should not be in Algebra II...I have no idea how they passed Algebra I two years ago. They don't have the basic skills, such as solving equations or performing operations with negative numbers...so I was worried how to even start trying to catch them up enough to pass my test. But I did what I could in that hour and half, and it showed on their tests. All of them (with a little help on my part) passed my test, and I could see a great deal of improvement in their skills, classroom participation, effort, etc.

I believe it is the little triumphs that really count...a student that takes notes who has never had a notebook before, a student that is paying attention and asking questions that is normally asleep, a student that does his homework who usually doesn't, a student who asks questions when she's confused instead of just staying quietly in the dark...we can't teach them all everything, but we can teach everyone something. They just need to find something they can do well to gain a little confidence.