Teaching — it’s the simplest part of being an educator, especially a student teacher. The harder part of this journey toward becoming a certified teacher is dealing with students who are actively choosing not to take part in the educational process.

On Tuesday I had the unfortunate task of writing up my first student for disciplinary reasons. This student didn’t want to do anything to further his education on this day. After repeatedly requesting the student to engage in the project, I presented this student with the option of writing vocabulary definitions. After declining this option, too, I was forced to refer the student to the office — something I didn’t want, but ultimately had, to do.

It’s sadly surprising how students have decided to simply pack it in and just give up on learning. My heart aches when a student feels education isn’t important or that knowledge has no use.

During the last couple of months, I have often thought what might have been the catalyst for those students whose interest in learning has disappeared. What event could have taken place throughout the course of their life that would cause students to become so disengaged with wanting to achieve academically? This baffles me.

One hypothesis is that there may have been a teacher — or teachers — who gave up on the student, thus the students give up on themselves. With this in my mind, I make it my goal to do as much as I can as a student teacher to not give up on a student.

I find it frustrating when I’m giving all of my energy to support and encourage the student, and then getting, at best, a lethargic response. Now, I’m not saying that this is the response I get from all students, but even one or two who react in this manner can drain you mentally and emotionally.

There are so many innovative ideas I would like to pursue with some of these students, but unfortunately can’t; this isn’t my classroom — it’s another teacher’s. As a student teacher you can only be so ground-breaking because its not your name on the door — while you are student teaching, you are a guest at the school.

With any new idea to reach students, I must run it by my cooperating teacher and he can choose to either allow me run with the idea or throw on the breaks — it’s his class and his call.

Reaching these students who have given up on their educations is important to me and something I want to succeed with before my student teaching experience is through. It may take writing a student up to forcibly jump-start the student’s vehicle of success.

I care about all of my students, even if they don’t care about themselves. I see potential in every one of them, even if they don’t see it in themselves.

Maybe I’m living in an idealistic world in which all my students will succeed and take active roles in their educations — but as for right now, I have to have hope that this reality exists.