Stand and deliver the movie Setting: based on a true story. 1 teacher, Los Angeles, ca 1988. They told him those kids wouldn’t pass the s.a.t’s and would never math such as calculus. He stood against the odds and proved them wrong. 12 students took the test, not only once but twice. 18 passed. His story has gone down in school history. (Based on the movie, some facts are different then the actual story)
My month 6 has felt very similar to that teacher mr escalate. When jac and I first got here one of our first assignments was to grade the 9th grade science mid term test. As we started marking up every paper with red pens, a new reality was open. These kids have no idea what they are learning. Here in Africa the standards are different so a 40% is passing. About 8 out of 44 students passed with a 40% or above. The highest score was a 70%. We graded papers that got complete 0’s. Jac and I couldn’t wrap our minds around the fact that almost every paper was a complete fail.
Us being the non teachers that we are decided to challenge ourselves and asked if we could reteach the kids science from that test and let them retake their midterm. It was from that moment on that we realized it had nothing to do about the material in the book but everything to do with confidence and how these kids thought of themselves. We were given 1 week to go over 4 different topics(if you’re a teacher you know that is quite a lot of material to go over and teach in depth to a group of students who have no idea what they are learning.) we had to start from square one.
As the week went on, we started doing quizzes(these kids had never seen or taken a quiz before). We started doing little motivational speeches to boost their confidence in themselves. A shift began to happen. More and more students quit cheating off one another and passed their quizzes. They even wanted the corrections to the wrong answers.
The last quiz we gave them before the big retake test, they asked for another quiz in the same day! What student wants two quizzes in the same day?? Determined kids.
We now had a class full of determined, confident students ready to retake their test. The day before after class, my teammate jac and I prayed in the room over every seat. We sealed up our prayers to the Lord and walked out. As soon as we walked out, a teacher told us that we shouldn’t get our expectations too high and that he still believed most of them would fail.
“Get behind me Satan!” Is all that was going through my head.
Wednesday, 9:26 am, jac and I passed out 43 mid term 9th grade science tests. 10:30 am grading with the red pen began.
81% passed. Out of that 81%, 51% got above a 70%. Some even got 100%!!!! And even the ones who failed, improved their scores from the first time they took the test. We didn’t grade not one single test with a incomplete of 0.
They all tried, and some that passed we’re disappointed they didn’t get 100%. Who were these students? They are amazing, loved, determined and now confident young men and women that WILL pass their final exam in October to go into 10th , also known as high school.
This week is coming to a close along with month 6. I wish we could stay with them to see them onto 10th grade. We told our students that no matter wherever they go, they will always have jac and I rooting them on.
Sometimes it’s not about the education, or the grades, it’s simply about what that person believes about themselves.
I became so passionate for these students this month because I once was them. I once was that student that was told I wouldn’t pass high school. I told myself I would fail, and I did. But it only took a few teachers, and coaches to see past that and believe in me. I graduated, on time. I was Even given a second chance my sophomore year when I got kicked off due to academics to pull my grades up and get let back on the team.
Thank you to mrs. shermer, 9th, 10th and 11th grade algebra teacher. Thank you to coach Cassie , paiz and Lazaro for pushing me to be the best player but also person off the field.
Thank you to the 9th grade class of destiny school that has touched my heart in so many ways. Always believe in yourself no matter what the world tells you.
