How Do We Reach Those Kids

Imagine, if you can, a roomful of teenage boys, all familiar with the inside of a courtroom; many are gang members, many are from the roughest home environments you might conjure up from having seen some pretty horrible movies. Many of those kids have experienced years of academic failure. Their guards are up so that no teacher, no test will be allowed to expose their shortcomings. They are accustomed to failing and to public embarrassment-both elements of their dislike of school. And then comes Friday: Poem Day-a tradition that has become a centerpiece for kids who are trying to find ways to express their feelings about the harshness and confusion of their lives. These teenagers, given time with Mary Sklar and her special brand of imparting to them a belief in themselves and encouraging them to dare anything to succeed, found themselves in their rooms late into the evening on Thursday memorizing poems by such authors as Maya Angelou and John Donne. They then recite these poems to a classful of other teenage boys-not a wisecrack or snort is heard-and the prize they receive is a miniature Snickers bar. After a student successfully recites a poem, he comes to the front of the classroom and drops rolls of pennies into a donation bucket-each year a different charity is selected related to education. He earns the pennies by choosing one of the longer poems on the list of options. Even though the pennies come from a fund established by the teacher, the boy feels so proud to be able, by his own effort, to help kids who are less fortunate than he with a charitable contribution. His name is added to the list of humanitarians on the classroom door. Other students congratulate him, often accompanied by applause. The most common statement heard from students as they drop their pennies into the bucket is "Oh Miss, I wish my mother could see me. She'd be so proud." Apathy, not common in room 101, is totally absent on Friday. How Do We Reach Those Kids is the story of a remarkable teacher and her amazing journey in a juvenile detention center. Her techniques and experiences will resonate with teachers, parents, grandparents, and anyone who cares about the future of our children and education in this country. Every kid needs a Mary Sklar in his or her corner.

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Mary Duerksen Sklar has lived on two continents and has taught and worked with educators and students on three. Having absorbed a broad range of teaching approaches and experiences she returned to the US over a decade ago eager for a challenge. She found it at a juvenile detention facility near Denver, Colorado. Teaching social studies to teenagers ordered by the court to live and attend school in the facility put her theories to their most demanding tests. The impact of her reaching techniques has resulted in countless students showing greater interest in learning and has reduced the numbers of young people who are determined to disrupt classrooms and interrupt or end their own education. Her unique strengths and talents are influenced by her Midwestern upbringing. Her father was dean of the School of Fine Arts at Wichita State University, and her mother opened their home to frequent guests that included educators, musicians, and cultural leaders. Conversation was rich and stimulating. Her solid grounding in traditional values gives her the confidence and resourcefulness to work creatively with a juvenile prison population. The three Rs in Mary Sklar's classroom-relationship, relevance, and respect-work wonders with kids whose lives are fraught with loss, chaos, and failure.