[STCrowley]

Hey,

I agree with the folks who say you can't be their friend. Sounds mean, because I really hated school and thought I'd have loved to have a teacher who was genuinely trying to help me. . . but, well, my worst hitting-my-head-against-a-wall experience was trying to teach two brothers who were getting ready to go to Texas (their father was in the German military.)

In the end, I became 'the heavy' that I never wanted to be (and haven't been since, as I stick to adults) and handed out homework as a 'punishment' for making grammar mistakes just because they didn't care. . . and even required one to write a sentence about appropriate behavior in class thirty times.

One thing that did go well, however, was requiring them--in a structured setting--to prepare a presentation about something they could teach me. I learned about fishing and about the fantasy world from some German novels I've never heard of. . . it got them alive and animated and really communicating. But, getting them to the point where they were ready to communicate only happened that one time.

Let us know what works for you!