How to Reform a Class Skipper

Back to School preparation and shopping was the best part of returning to a new school year. Looking forward to seeing school friends, getting a new locker, lovely new school supplies and often a new wardrobe or a new "look" to test out were all things that made the first two weeks of going back to the "grind," worthwhile. Once the excitement of a new schedule and finding out which cute boys and which friends were in each class wore off I was back to my old "tricks".

I am a former "skipper". I loved learning, I loved books, I even loved French and English classes but after two weeks it would begin again. I had a variety of ways of dodging classes. I was notorious for actually going to class, leaving my books and then excusing myself to head to the restroom where I would then decide to wander off, not returning to the classroom until the lesson was finished and the room empty, to get my gear. I skipped home room, I skipped math class, I skipped my favorite classes and eventually teachers started to take notice.

I was put on academic performance watch and had to take a check-in list to each class to be signed by the teacher and submitted to the head office each morning. I went faithfully to every class for two weeks, got all the signatures and then photocopied the list to use when needed. I was right back to my old habits of skipping classes and no one caught on to my cheating for months. Teachers stopped caring, my parents had no clue and the front office never followed up. I thought I was brilliant. Step aside Ferris Bueller, there is a new kid in town!

When I did get caught, the vice-president was shocked at my boldness. He even, I believe, was grudgingly impressed by my craftiness. I got put on library duty for the rest of the school year and it was the best thing to happen to me. Our school library was not a place that the cool kids hung out. No one that I knew would be caught within ten feet of the card catalog, an ancient system libraries used before computers. My friends could be found lounging outdoors in the September heat wearing full denim and leather jackets or bumming smokes off of each other in the smoking area.

Many times that I skipped classes, during what was supposed to have been my final year of high school, I would gather with some of these friends for day parties at their homes. We would hang out at one friend's place and swim all day or bring in beer and just stick around until it was time to get going home for supper. There was never anything all that exciting going on except for a few make out sessions with the boyfriend.

I skipped, basically, because I could.

It may have been a need to rebel and to have some control over my own life. It was definitely because I was not completely engaged in the school routine and it was easy because I was not always alone. I had accomplices. Once I started doing time in the library everything changed. Every lunch and spare was spent shelving returned books. I became proficient in the Dewey decimal system and could locate a book in record time.

The librarian was this young man with glasses and a prominent streak of white in his hair that he was forever brushing away from his vision. He was really quite captivating and I developed a small crush. He was definitely not cool. He pestered me into joining the debate team that he supervised. He felt that anyone with a quick comeback and a snarky attitude, such as myself, would best be suited for a battle of wits.

I was the only girl on the team and I went each week and got roasted until I started actually researching and preparing to take on my opponents. It was a humiliating experience being shot down by boys that I thought of as preppy snobs and I was determined to best them. By the end of the school year I was on the team that visited other schools. I was never the best debater, far from it, but I loved the challenge. I no longer hung out with the same crowd at school, I was stuck between crowds, not belonging 100% to the party crowd or the smart kids from debate team.

I was happy to spend my time stamping returned books back into the system. I had missed too many classes to move on with my graduating year. I redid my final year with a new outlook on learning and becoming part of the school activities. The very best way to reform a skipper, I believe, is to get them actively involved with the school program.

Thirty years later, I was prepared to deal with my little skipper. Like mother, like daughter, I suppose.

When my Sarah started ditching classes I was right there to make sure she attended each class. I took a very active role in ensuring she was motivated. I was outside the classroom door after each class for two weeks to walk her to her next class. It was embarrassing to her, for certain. When I dropped her off at school in the morning it was five minutes before the buzzer, she did not have time to make alternate plans and when she did I was sitting right outside in my car watching to see if she came out.

I caught her once, even tracking her to a field where her and a bunch of friends were climbing trees and hanging out. I marched right up to her and marched her right back to class. I was able to check online each day to see if she had checked in and out of her classes, modern technology is my friend. Homework and study times were monitored and personal phone calls and friend visiting were minimized until the grades went back up.

We viewed her next semester classes and allowed her to take a yoga class over the regular gym and health classes. Sarah was never a high performance academic and even getting her to do homework was a challenge. She barely skated through high school but this year, in her early twenties, she is planning on college and we could not be happier. *fingers crossed*

Traditional education is not for everyone. Academic learning is something that we have to want. If you can find what interests your child and get them on the path to getting involved with those interests then you stand a far better chance of creating a good student. Engagement is half the battle.

The other half of the battle is caring enough to be actively involved in your child's education.

Join the school programs, get to know the other parents, contribute as much time as you can in school activities and participate in the charitable causes because it sends a message to your child that school is important.