Friday, January 22, 2010

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions


Jose came back to school after his arrest, but quickly started behaving disrespectfully to teachers. Long story short, he was suspended again, and sent to another Alternative Learning Center.

I probably don’t need to say how frustrating the situation is. Jose is smart. He knows what he needs to do to succeed. But he has pent up anger that he is not willing to control yet, and it manifests itself in his belligerence with teachers and school leaders. He knows that his behavior is setting him back. He wants to succeed, but he keeps making the wrong decisions.

But, let me move on to more positive news. Our group is doing great and is very enthusiastic about the Job Readiness curriculum. I think part of their enthusiasm is due to the fact that they are learning real life skills like money management. They can see the purpose in what they are learning, and feel empowered by their new skills.

We also have a new group of students taking a Law and Government course at the local High School, and they love it so far.