Ambernaishia

Ambernaishia is the student all of us teachers worry about constantly. She is a naturally intelligent and well-mannered student amid the sea of "fine with failing" classmates. There are times in class when I feel sorry for her because she deserves so much more than her humble surroundings. What makes Ambernaishia so special is that she doesn't make a spectacle of how much further ahead of her students she really is. Her two best friends include a mediocre student and one of my special education students. To see her interact with them, you wouldn't believe that one of them barely understands fifth grade reading material. In the schools I grew up in, that just didn't happen. This is perhaps due to the fact that inclusion was not a part of my education so students like Ambernaishia's friend Tabara would never have been in the general population. Still, she walks humbly, knowing she is a cut above the rest. It is not that she is oblivious to her gifts. I know her mother takes care to help her understand there are higher expectations for her, and she rises to the occasion every time. 

Aside from humility, Ambernaishia has a drive to succeed that is absent in most of my students from this year or last year. I recently had my classes write narratives that included personal folklore. As we neared the end of the project, I scheduled a work day for students to focus solely on their narratives. Most students took it as an opportunity to goof off and I had to constantly redirect students to their assignments. Ambernaishia not only remained on task, which I appreciated, but she was meticulous about included every detail I taught that week. She mastered the narrative, and asked me to check for mastery at every step of the story. Her work ethic is a daily dose of happy in an otherwise hopeless situation. 

Perhaps her greatest asset lies in her mother. I frequently run into her around town and she never fails to ask, "How's my girl doing?" She will literally interrupt my workout at the gym or dinner at the mexican restaurant in town, but I appreciate it. She is involved with every aspect of her daughter's education even though she has an unpredictable work schedule. This alone places Ambernaishia lightyears ahead of her counterparts many of whom have absent parents. 

Unfortunately there is a caveat to her amazing talent. She is being educated in perhaps the worst condition possible. She reads on a 10th grade level, has some promising analytical skills, but no one to nourish that. Even teachers often forget to challenge her because she is alone in her league. The district has a hand in discouraging her talent as well. The low standards promoted by policies like, “no grade in the grade-book lower than 50”, teach kids that mediocrity is acceptable. Literally, no grade can be lower than a 50. Not just the nine weeks grade, but daily grades.  Why continue to strive for excellence when no one expects or encourages you too. I have also heard teachers blow her off when she asks why she received a “B” instead of an “A” on assignments. She is screaming to be held more accountable and we are letting her down.