- Escaping teacher’s agenda: Absence

Student : If I am having a bad hair day, I just don’t go (school). The school doesn’t allow me to use a hat or a scarf

Student: I don’t like when the teacher asks me to go and copy long text on the board. I had one once that did it every class. It was like a curse! When I was not in the mood I just skipped class

- Fostering values: unequal treatment to care

Student 1: She is allowing me to stay in class but I missed more classes than allowed…I am handsome!

Student 2: At the end of the course, teachers are less rigid because they don’t want an empty class

Student 3: Remember M4 (a classmate)? If the fire alarm didn’t go off, I think he would be here. He was expelled because we had to go outside on the day of the test and then go to the principal office to get permission to take the test. We had studied together using walking a sequence; he knew all answers to the test. I went with him and heard the principal saying that it is up to the teacher and that if the student was there it was because he missed too many classes.

Student 2: At the principal's office, the rule is no special treatment

Student 3: I think the teacher wanted the principal to give permission and as it didn’t happen, she is giving special treatment for you because you are doing well in class.

Student 1: I think it was because of my charm! I am sure (laugh)

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Dialogues&Stories (Life, School, Classroom)

- Listening beyond stereotypes: Students are experts

• Students know when they learn better
  

I learn better when it is my own interest, when I have no money problem, when I get paid to learn, when I have a right environment, when I dance, when I have brain food (rest, group and teacher good energy, visual handouts, interesting subject), when I have time enough to learn and time to repeat once and repeat again” (quote from a poster made in class)

Student: ... I prefer to learn by listening. I am too lazy to write, draw or walk a sequence.

• Students know what a good teacher is

“We expect the teacher to provide “us” the knowledge to success in this class, understanding of personal circumstances within reason, respect our opinions and views, provide different pathways for each student, stimulate our minds, hearts and souls daily, provide “us” the skills to become KILLERS in the real world, have reasonable expectations over the period we are together (quote from a poster made in class)

• The students brought the following saying to be discussed in class
  

If you step on it then it’s your problem

If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me

Opportunityisnowhere

Everybody loves hard workers

Failure is a bump on the highway of life (Perigord Cleaners Road Sign as seen on the Kingsway)

An unwritten want is a wish, a dream. A never happen. The day you put your goal in writing is the day it becomes a commitment that will change your life. Are you really ready? (Tom Hopkins)

Do what you want to do now, we can not live in eternity

We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hands – and meeting like a snowflake (Mary Bayron Ray)

Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what your going to get
(Forest Gump)

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Dialogues&Stories (Life, School, Classroom)