Welcome back to a new post on gang issues in education. First, I would like to state that the tips I write about in dealing with gang members in the classroom I have used with success. In my last post I outlined some strategies in dealing with members at the initial start of the new school year.
In this post I will address how to build up a members self esteem to the point that they will produce quality work for you. First, you must take into consideration that many factors are involved when you work with a gang member. Everything that they experience outside of the classroom will ultimately affect how they behave in class. Because so many factors are involved in their lives, it is sometimes very difficult to reach members and make learning for them meaningful.
The next thing to understand is that many members have a negative view of education and are not likely to try very hard with their studies. Also take into consideration that aside from not wanting to be in school they are often targeted by staff and administration because of their gang affiliations. But initially try to put all of this aside until you get to know the member in question. You may be surprised to learn that they are quite intelligent and are often interesting to be around, as they come with a different perspective on life. This is where your opportunity to make their learning meaningful comes into play.
The first thing I do with all of my students is to assess where their writing skills lay by giving them an ungraded writing assignment. I find that by letting the students know the paper will not be graded allows them more freedom to experiment in their writing. For a member, it allows them to express themselves without the fear of being critiqued. This strategy allows me to assess where their skills are at because I can then find their strengths and weaknesses. I can then use this information to help me guide their learning by giving them lessons where their interests lie.
I know it takes a lot of work to individualize lessons to a particular child, but in the long run I believe the effort is worth it if the child becomes actively involved in their learning. I believe this is the goal of every educator, getting the student to take ownership of their learning. I also feel it is extremely crucial in teaching to high risk students such as these.
The next strategy I use is to praise the member on some aspect of their writing, but I always do this praise privately. I don’t want anyone to know, because most members do not want to be classified as a school boy. I know it would make matters worse if I publicly praised them and they will shut down, not the thing I’m looking for. But as with human nature we all want to be praised by our accomplishments. So this definitely starts them on the path of taking ownership of their learning.
I know I could go on and on with effective strategies I have used with members in the classroom, and it would literally take page after page to outline them successfully. So instead, buy a copy of my book, which will give you more ways to deal with gang members in your classroom.
If you need to contact me you can do so at: cabgil@aol.com.
You can order a copy of my book by sending $19.95 + $4.00 S&H to P.O. Box 13591, Las Cruces, New Mexico. Please allow four to six weeks from the time you send the order off to receive your book.
Thanks and come again for another post on gang issues in education.
Gilbert