Language Crosses the Line.

Their harsh words hurt, but I learned to see what lay behind my students' anger and frustration

"You're stupid, lady!"

"What're we gonna learn from you reading out loud?"

"Get out of here and take your f--ing books somewhere else!"

These were the words spoken by my seventh- and eighth-grade students as they stampeded out of their first class of the year. I had accepted the challenge of working with 16 struggling readers, all of whom had failed to complete assigned reading, often cut classes, were reading one to two years below grade level, and failed Virginia's Literacy Passport Test in reading and writing. Yet, the principal and I believed that they could improve once they discovered books that engaged them.

Abandoning the skill-and-drill worksheets to which the students were accustomed, I developed a program that included 15 to 20 minutes of daily, action-packed read-alouds followed by discussions. I was optimistic that my program would capture kids' interest. I was not, however, prepared for the verbal attacks.

The students' angry words stung for hours. As I replayed their remarks in my mind, I nursed my anger, dreaming up ways to punish them. But I soon moved beyond personal hurt.

These students had a right to feel angry. They were frustrated with school and hurt by failure. They had numerous negative tapes in their minds, tapes which replayed harsh statements such as: You're so dumb you can't even pass. I knew I needed to build their trust.

I spoke one-on-one with each student who had used inappropriate language, making getting-to-know-you more important than a show of power.

"Bad language directed at a teacher or a peer," I told them, "is off-limits at school." However, they could express frustration and anger through writing.

Students shrugged their shoulders and said that they hated school, and I couldn't change their feelings. Two students mumbled, "This is dumb," watching me to see how I would react.

It took two to three months of one-on-one meetings before students were willing to share some of their past school experiences. As mutual trust developed, students took paired reading, journal writing, buddy reading, and word study more seriously. They allowed me to enter their reading lives and slowly nudge them forward.

By the end of that year, my students had made significant strides in their reading and attitudes. Their negative comments faded, replaced by statements that showed that they had shed some of their anger and frustration. One student, Cory, described the changes when he wrote: "Well reading is not my Favorite thing to do but I never really got help with it. I did not like to [read] at the start but now its not that bad. I even like some books." All 16 passed the Literacy Passport test.

While Cory's words, and those of other students, didn't necessarily express great love for reading, they were evidence of a growing confidence--and hope. And this small but strong evidence of change was music to my ears.

Laura Robb has 36 years experience as a teacher of reading. She is the director of language arts and curriculum for Powhatan School, in Boyce, VA.