Firestone CLC Student Panelist Discussion

It is unusual for high school students to have a permission system, which enables them to grade and evaluate teachers. They may do so privately, but doing it openly and publicly creates a semblance of anxiety about the teacher-student relationship.

However, an Akron Public Schools initiative encourages students to share with teachers their concerns and ideas on how to develop a better classroom environment for all of the district’s more than 20,000 students.

The men and women tasked with educating these students view this forum as an opportunity to convey their thoughts in hopes of sharing both their strengths and vulnerabilities. It, too, provides a chance to either confirm or dispel long-held perceptions about what motivates some to teach and mentor students who represent a broad spectrum of the community. 

On Jan. 31, an inquisitive panel of 11 students gathered inside the cafeteria at Firestone CLC to share their views with an audience of 12 teachers. The topics varied from students’ freedom of expression to teachers coping with disruptive students.

There were no boundaries on subjects to tackle. However, there were some soul-searching, emotional reflections that snatched the bandages from the lingering wounds that impact a student’s ability to learn and a teacher’s ability to teach.

“No one is coming to save you,” senior Cheyenne Lee said as she gently wiped away tears. “So, we must avoid setting ourselves up for failure. I don’t want to be 32 and managing a McDonald’s.”

Still, senior Breonna Potter added, “The world doesn’t stop because you’re going through stuff.” That sentiment was echoed by another saying, “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what is going on at home. The teachers’ expectation is that you do the work.”

While some of the students’ unvarnished critique was stinging, most teachers seemingly responded positively in the breakout sessions. They sought resolutions, particularly concerning students who create chaos in their classrooms. 

“The students want to share what they're going through with adults, but adults don't ask,” said Bryce Harris, a middle school counselor, who organized the panel discussion. “So, this is an opportunity for them to open up to some adults. There are not many adults out here asking how they're doing on a daily basis. There are not too many adults at the schools willing to have these types of conversations and hear what is actually happening at home.”

Predictably, the issue that resonated most was the undeniable reality that so much of a student's classroom persona is influenced by life at home and the oft-inevitable effects of peer pressure.

The students and teachers huddled in small groups following the panel discussion to explore more nuanced, complicated issues – discipline, freedom of expression, student accountability, and teachers’ commitment to investing in their students' lives beyond books and blackboards.

The panel discussion didn’t provide any absolute answers or solutions. It did, however, provide a glimpse into how students and teachers are working to bridge the cultural divide in the academic environment.

It starts with both students and teachers recognizing mutual accountability and respect. 

“You have to be in charge of yourself and take responsibility for yourself,” said Firestone senior Xyia West, a student-athlete and mentor. “I feel like accountability goes both ways in the classroom.”

“The expectations are usually set by the teachers,” said junior Troy Weiss, who performed at the State of the System event at Garfield CLC. “Students have to advocate for themselves. Students have flaws that teachers aren’t responsible for.”

Bryce Harris, counselor at Helen Arnold CLC, facilitates Akron Public Schools’ Scholar-Led Professional Development – a program designed and led by students. 

“We did something very similar with principals in June, which was a big hit,” said Larry W. Johnson, the district’s executive director of Talent & Organizational Development. “So we thought teachers would be our next target.”

The teachers seemed to embrace the opportunity to share their thoughts with the students.

“I think the teachers actually have a chance to understand the importance of relationships,” said Harris. “When they hear the students start with the things going on at home, they're like, ‘I thought we were going to talk about different instructions, but it really comes down to relationships.’

“As an educator myself, when I hear these students talk about relationships, it always comes back to building strong rapport and building strong relationships and connections with the students. It doesn't come naturally to all of them, but they know how to communicate their emotions. They love this stuff and dare to get out of their comfort zone.”

The expectations were to have more teachers attend the panel discussion. However, it is a work in progress.

Harris said it is an amazing experience, which is needed throughout the district. 

“(Teachers) can communicate their concerns and ask questions of the students without being intimidated,” Harris said. “I wanted to make sure (teachers) could ask questions of the students as well. This is the opportunity to dissect their thoughts, dissect their biases, maybe some of their flaws, and work on them.”

Accountability, discipline, expectations 

The students talked about accountability during the panel discussion. Yet, there was a demand that teachers, too, are to be held accountable for their actions and inactions.

“It is hard to take our flaws and turn them into constructive criticism, but I think the teachers can do a great job with that just by listening,” Harris said. “I think this can be something that can go to conferences, like national and global conferences, where we can really amplify a student’s voice.

“I think this could be something that middle schoolers could take advantage of. I've heard some middle schoolers speaking; they are incredible. They’ve got beautiful minds, and they have powerful voices just like these high schoolers.”

Mike Tucci, a special education teacher at Litchfield CLC, listened attentively to the students. He confessed to having his doubts about the effectiveness of such a platform, one that permitted allowances for the students to unburden their concerns.

“I was a little bit apprehensive about listening to what a bunch of kids had to say because I didn't know how that would go,” Tucci said. “But, as they spoke and shared their views and their feelings like their thoughts, I think it is probably the best professional development I've ever been to, just hearing their perspective on things.

“It really reinforced a lot of things I already knew or felt, but it really made me think in a new way about a couple of things. It was really valuable -- I mean, I know for me, personally; and I'm sure for the other teachers who were here also.

“The one thing I found from working in different places is that kids aren’t much different from one place to another,” said Tucci, who spent part of his 22-year career in Maple Heights and Painesville school districts. “The teachers aren't that that much different, either. At the end of the day, the teachers and parents want what is best for students.

“You must practice what you preach,” Tucci implored the students during a breakout session. “You have to get up every day and battle through it. You have to stand tall and handle it all with dignity.”

Lee and West agreed.

“You don't know what your teacher is going through; so I understand, like giving that energy back and being respectful,” Lee said. “Sometimes it is a business, and you can’t connect with all teachers.”

“The expectation is set to come and receive information, be respectful because this is the next step of life,” West said.
”As a student body, we don't take a lot of accountability for the fact that we have our own flaws. Well, the first thing fixing a problem is recognizing it.” 

A Firestone junior talked candidly about her personal life. She is hesitant to seek the advice of teachers or counselors, in part, because of a reluctance to embrace the possibility that they care about her life beyond the classroom. She admits to slipping into a bubble, keeping teachers at a distance. 

“Sometimes, I need somebody to pop that bubble,” she said. “I had problems going on, you know, with family stuff. I feel like some teachers don't know how to talk to students. Everybody is still human, and a lot of teachers talk to us like we're not – or not smart. It does affect that student-teacher relationship. I love having a positive relationship with my teachers.”

It is difficult, too, for some students to share their life stories – even in this forum. They shared the hard realities facing many of their classmates – abusive homes, family tragedies, homelessness.

“A lot of kids these days don't know what love feels like,” senior Rachelle Athey said. “When they're in a position where people generally love them and when it is best for them, they don't know how to react.”

Many of the students agreed that teachers can't force “education down anybody's throat.” They agreed that teachers can only help those who want to be helped. ”At the end of the day, good teachers need to keep doing what they’re doing,” Weiss said emphatically.