When you think you’ve tried everything, what else do you do?

This was my problem with some of my students in High School. They’ve been getting into a lot of trouble this school year that’s why I’m running out of ideas on how to help them stay away from problems. I’ve tried talking to them seriously, heart to heart, one on one, or whatever else you’d like to call it. I’ve also tried military discipline where punishments are supposed to serve as motivation. I’ve even tried being laid back with them appealing mostly to their conscience rather than punishing them so that they’d be be guilty enough not to repeat the things they did. But none of those methods worked. Even one on one talks with the principal and the guidance counselor did not seem to cover it. So what were we supposed to do?

When it seems that the only way left is to let them go, would you do it? We did. Even at the risk of looking like monsters in the eyes of these students we did. Even if it meant being hated by them, for as long as they’d benefit from it in the end, we did. Because when it comes down to it, that’s what teachers do. They’re supposed to teach, not be loved. And if it so happens that the cost for learning our lessons is being hated, then so be it.

After all, just like what we heard from a certain mentor before, not everyone who shits on you is an enemy the same way that not everyone who picks you up from shit is a friend.