Bad grades equal bad student, which translates to irresponsible, stupid, careless, etc. child.
That was their school system. The equation everyone followed. And no matter what they did, they could not change it. So why even try?
In the 12th grade there was a specific class which was known as the "dumb class". No one truly held any hoped for them to go to college. Their constant minor rebellions against their teachers and the school, led them to be considered as...hopeless.
A new teacher, graduated from an excellent school, applied for the job as the new 12th grade teacher. Soon he learnt about this class, and somewhat regretted his decision of working there. However, he went for it and presented himself to that class as their new teacher.
He did not wished to waste his time with children who did not want to learn. But, he would not give up on any of them until they did. There were only 5 students who were definitely not graduating. These five students happened to be the most problematic among the class. The teacher thought of a way to make a difference in their life, so he proposed an idea to the principal. Because of his impressive resume, the principal did not decline his idea of making an elite class consisting of the most outstanding students. For his class he chose those 5 students. Everyone thought of it as a waste of time, but no one went against it, not even the students who had to stay everyday after school to take that special class.
Then, the teacher made them a promise. "If you do not graduate and do not enter an excellent college, then I would have failed as your teacher, and thereby quit this job." None of the students could understand his mentality, but they felt glad that someone actually believed in them. The teacher began by helping them regain their motivation for the future. He helped them with personal problems, and taught them how to deal with some of their issues. Once they regained their motivation, and felt a little better about coming to school and going home, they began studying to improve their grades and preparing for the SATs.
In the end all of the students graduated, but only three were accepted into the college of their choice. They showed a different side of themselves to everyone, specially to those who lost hope in them. The teacher saw them differently since the beginning, but not as them being actually smart or hard worker, but as normal teenagers who simply wanted someone to believe in them. That alone helped them begin to make a difference in their lives. Their results were attained by their own hands.
After that the teacher quit his job as he promised, and the students continued to grow. He just hoped that their motivation would last long enough to finish college.
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