As a beginning teacher, I was initially proud of my ability to connect positively with students. Humor and a conveyed interest in their lives seemed to secure most students' attention and trust. Students claimed that I "got them"and was "cool"; my administrators dubbed me a "natural teacher."Yet, I was still aware I was not reaching a portion of my students; the few who regularly challenged my authority were tuning out when they weren't acting out. But, in all honesty, I did relatively little to remedy the situation. Instead, I accepted their behavior as confirmation of what I had heard time and again, from teachers and others: that some students are unreachable and unteachable(the parents are to blame!)and that teachers need to focus on those who have a chance to succeed.
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