Moments from Beyond School

These stories were submitted anonymously by Beyond School Americorp Members from our three Beyond School sites.

Someone I'm appreciative of thus far in my service would be one of my students, Miles. Even though the beginning of his time in Beyond School wasn't the smoothest, he has made such a come around. Miles often got upset when he didn't get his way, and liked to give the silent treatment. What would move me the most was the silent tears he shed when I would attempt to get him to communicate with me.
As time progressed, we were able to come up with a communication plan to help him talk through his feelings. We’re still in the process of progress, but progress is the main and most important goal. The relationship between Miles and I has grown greatly, and has taught me a good deal about patience. I'm excited to see what next year brings.

One specific student I can think of that exemplifies development and growth is Ronaldo. He is an extremely soft spoken young man that usually lacks confidence and motivation, most of the time pertaining to his academic endeavors, but this sometimes spills over into his relationships as well.

When I first met Ronaldo, I knew he would need some additional motivation to get his brain gears churning, but I often found myself begging and pleading to get his work done. Even worse, I found myself essentially doing his work for him so he wouldn't fall extremely behind. But following a parent teacher conference with his mother, I have seen a change in behavior that has compared to none. His mother and I explained to him that it is up to him, and him alone, to be a successful peer and student. One major testament to this is his most recent NWEA score for science. After tremendously struggling last year, he reported to me that his score increased by bounds and leaps, placing him in the "green zone" for middle school science. To see the joy and fulfillment in his face nearly brought tears to my eyes. To see him be proud of his work, and the motivation that he found within to be the best version of himself, showed me that this tiring work we do will never be in vain.

A difficult thing about being an educator is seeing your students struggle. One of my students, Camille, started quarter two off rough academically. She told me she was scared she wouldn’t pass the 5th grade. I could tell she felt inadequate, which made me think I'm failing her in some way. We made time to work on missing assignments together in Beyond School, and I was baffled as to what more I could be doing. After I started implementing more opportunities to work with peers, I noticed she started turning in more assignments.
This past quarter has shown me how much positive peer relationships impact a student's motivation. Encouraging them to talk about assignments, and to ask for help from their peers has made my classroom a more productive and caring place to be. Camille ended the quarter with no missing assignments. This was because of her hard work, and encouragement from her peers. It is moments such as this that make being an educator extremely rewarding. Seeing my students grow, achieve, and overcome their challenges together is something I wouldn't trade for the world.

If you are interested in learning more about Beyond School or becoming a Beyond School Americorps Member you can visit missionstl.org/beyond school.