A glimpse into the life of a teenage mom trying to make it through high school appeared in the Boston Globe on Sunday. It was actually a centerpiece, part of an ongoing series, "Last Chance for English High." It is about how the historic icon, "once one of Boston's premier learning institutions," is now struggling with its current status as one of the city's worst schools, and must improve or face closure.
The complication presented in this nice narrative: Jennifer Smith's responsibilities to a 2-year-old son inhibit her attention to responsibilities at school -- specifically, a science project. The resolution, however, is not quite clear: Jennifer Smith accepts responsibility for not completing her school work as she cares for her child but she returns with greater attention to her schoolwork and remains steadfast in maintaining her effort to succeed.
This little bit of dialogue and observation pretty much explains it:
Smith stepped into the classroom.
"Do you have your project?" asked her teacher, Timothy Gay.
"No," Smith said softly and cast her eyes downward. She shifted her feet, ashamed, but offered no explanation. She didn't want to use her son as an excuse.
No comments:
Post a Comment