You know, I've tamed some of them with things as small as sharing a bagel with them. It's strange how deprived some of the kids are of adult companionship. And some of the middle class kids see their parents the least. When we did the Supersize Me lesson plan I found out how few meals some of these kids eat with their parents. We were talking about meals, and meal planning, and several of the kids eat NO meals, at all, with their parents present. They basically graze- and they aren't grazing on particularly good foods, and some of them have been grazing for years. Interestingly my most together students are the ones whose parents were most involved with their food choices (one girls mom still packs her lunch every day, even though she is a senior- and let me tell you, she is one of my best students). I think students who are cared about will do well, and students who are not cared about need surrogates, and motivation. If we want to make our society better, we will find ways to help these children, because it is better to help them now, then incarcerate them or pay for their welfare when they are adults.
(and paying them is just one option- I just want to TRY things, and keep what works) |
