Thread: Keeping Motivated

I don't work in the inner city, but in a rural area . . . and there are lots of similarities. I get students who don't have lots of home support and come from poverty.

I'm getting a group of 15 hand-picked boys on Monday, and they're quite a crew. They're not all that low in ability level, but they don't have any motivation and can be behavior problems.

My entire first day with them will be procedures. I'll have contracts with several of them. I'm using computers, Achieve 3000 & Plato, with them three days a week, reading one day, and doing character education/anti-bullying stuff one day.

I'm hoping everything goes well . . . and I'll post any ideas that work.

Originally Posted by chrisk

What do you do to say motivated when working with inner city families? :?:

Unfortunately, I can't give you a positive answer for this question.

I was an inner city teacher for five years, from 1986-1991. I was younger and had more stamina. I was also somewhat idealistic.

After teaching abroad for several years, I returned to an inner city school in 2002. I resigned midyear citing my inability to meet district goals.

Most of my students were 2 grade levels below in all subject areas. I was told to prep my students for the annual state test and that I would lose my job if most of the students failed. I was also told that I could not remediate.

I had no administrative or parental support for dealing with disciplinary problems.

One parent actually told me that I had permission to "beat her child." (Eye roll ... as if I would ever do that. That was a lawsuit just waiting to happen ...)

On top of everything else, the district made all teachers at my school attend mandatory Saturday workshops. (The only teachers who had to do this came from the five schools with the overall lowest test scores.) We had to sit through long boring lectures about flex grouping, motivation etc.

The district also made me attend FOSS (full option science system) certification workshops after school ... never mind the fact that I was certified as a workshop instructor through a former employer in another country.

The end result was that I burned out and finally quit in frustration. I attended a French culinary school, acquired a B&B inn, and haven't taught in five years.

With this being said, all I can really suggest is that you do your best to leave the job at work. When you go home, GO HOME. Rest, relax, and recuperate. Find something fun to do. Indulge in a favorite activity or hobby. If you enjoy reading, soak in a hot tub with a good book and a favorite beverage. Enjoy the company of good friends. Do something to take your mind off of work.

Part of my problem was that the after school workshops and the stupid Saturday workshops really took their toll on me. I had no time to rest and relax. I was constantly working. I was also in fear of losing my job because the goals I had been given were simply not realistic.

Had it not been for all of the workshops I had to take, I might have survived the year. As it was, I was one of three teachers who quit midyear. Stress over job retention was so strong that several of my former colleagues were actually caught changing student answers on a state examination. Not only were these people fired but they also lost their certification and will most likely never teach again.

David has given you some solid advice.

In a situation like yours, you need an outlet, something to take your mind off your troubles. If you sit and dwell on them instead, a j ob like y ours can overwhelm you.