Reply #6: Here's some reasons I can think of: [View All]

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. No incentive to stay in school from the family (or lack thereof)

2. Poor self-concept (often related to family problems-I still remember a parent that told me that she loved her dog more than her son-and he was there and knew it)

3. Learning disabilities-I felt if a child couldn't learn in my class, most of it was my fault. I went out of my way to figure out the learning style of each student and to help them achieve. What was sad were that other teachers in the school thought that approach was "silly" and that a certain percentage of students should always get failing grades.

I can't say I succeeded with all my kids-I'm still haunted by the brilliant boy who could never relate to anyone, pushed everyone away-and who killed himself at age 21. But I did try to instill a sense of self worth in my students, and I did let them know I cared about them and their success.