It’s Working!

3.02.11 By Stephen Yang

Please read the following unaltered first draft of an opinion editorial written by one of my 11th grade students.  The student received feedback on only one paragraph prior to submission.  Reprinted with permission from the author.

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As the city of Boston’s budget problems come to its culminating point, hundreds of teenagers came together at the statehouse with demands for the state to keep the budget allocated to summer programs for the youth intact.  Movements like these speak greatly about the key role that employment plays in the lives of the youth.  There are definitely many benefits as there are disadvantages in allowing for teenagers to get an early start in having first hand experiences in the labor force.  However, there are far more benefits to teenagers having jobs.  By being able to work, Teenagers are given the opportunity to become mature individuals as they learn that being responsible is not only essential at work, but also in school and in their own homes.  Moreover, when it comes time for college they will be prepared in terms of knowing how to manage schoolwork, work, and other activities. 

One of the most considerably important values that teenagers gain is being able to learn how to manage money and know the value of it.  It is here that teenagers get to see how hard it is to earn money, thus allowing them to manage their money wisely and only spend it on necessities as opposed to things that are nonessential.  Furthermore, teens also learn how to save a portion of their earnings for greater and more important things like college.  Knowing how to manage money is especially important by the time the teenager is in college because there are a lot more expenses when the student is on their own than when they are dependent on his/her parents. 

The ability to work as a team is also something that teenagers also gain through their jobs.  Very often teenagers are encouraged with work that requires working with other people, and engaging positively in what ever job they are assigned because the grocery stores, restaurants and movie theaters and the most commonly known places for teenagers to be hired, and all of these settings are known to be areas that require teamwork.  Employers also expect for teenagers to be able to learn how to get along with all types of personalities even though some may not coincide with theirs.  Ultimately, learning how to work with all types of people is a very important skill to have because it makes it easier to be able to navigate through school and future careers in a harmonious way.

In addition to values that will be important to teenagers in high school and later on in life, teenagers can learn work skills that will benefit them in their future jobs or in their homes.  Customer service is one of the most marketable skills that a teenager can learn in their respective jobs.  Being able to deal with a customers problem, being able to listen to what their complaints or demands is only one part of the job; learning how to internalize what they are saying is the second and perhaps the most important aspect in dealing with customers because the student worker is able to provide each and every customer with satisfying service.  This is an important skill in an number of careers, and it is a skill that teenagers because of their young age should not be restrained from because it will greatly benefit them in the long run.

Overall, a teenager having a job during high school is not something that is meant to distract them from their already important responsibility - school.  However, the benefits that come with having a job while in high school trump many of the disadvantages.  One cannot deny the fact that sometimes teenagers instead of seeing their jobs as a means to be able to learn how to balance multiple things at once and gaining responsibility, approach making money with a different attitude.  There are cases in which jobs do take away from schoolwork because the student is not necessarily ready to take on such responsibility.  Before allowing for a teenager to enter the labor field it is important for both the parent and employer to note what the teenagers motivations are for making money if it is for their own benefit in the future or for self-indulgence.  In spite of that, most teenagers in high school do want to persevere and demonstrate that like many adults they have very strong work ethic and work ethic is something that at one point or another everyone has to gain, so why not do it an an early age?

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For a first draft, this essay impresses me.  While it’s not perfect, it’s strong.  The essay incorporates many of the elements of a strong persuasive essay we have been developing since September.  I can’t count how many times I have amended my unit and lesson plans to incorporate feedback and suggestions from my mentor, BTR staff, and alumni.  I’ve been drained, exhausted, and overwhelmed by having to manage my BTR coursework with lesson planning and preparation.  Yet when I read a first draft essay (like the one above) from one of my students I remember why teaching is worth the effort and acknowledge that-at least for me-BTR’s approach (high rigor, high support) to educating teachers is effective. 

I walked into school today at 6:30 A.M.  And for the first time in several months, I saw a sunrise.  I’m beginning to feel as if most of my students have bought into my discipline plan and choose to act in accordance with my behavioral expectations.  When they look for my daily content objectives and handouts they know where to find them.  Except for the usual one or two, most students are at their seats when the bell rings.  Attendance rates have been steady, and I can focus the stuff that really matters: teaching content and student learning.  Not every day will be perfect.  Not every student’s essay will read like the one above.  But when I gauge my emotional health going into the longest month of the school year, I realize how comfortable I feel walking into my classroom.