The saying “we spend 90% of our time on 10% of our students” came up again.
And my response was different this time.
Every other time I’ve been at a workshop, or a session, or a meeting and this statement came up I felt anger growing. It gave my frustration a place to hang. What have I been doing wasting so much time on so few? There certainly must be something be wrong if things are not more equal. Why should the minority demand such a large amount of my time and effort.
But, when I last heard this saying, I didn’t feel angry. I wasn’t frustrated. I was simply puzzled. What’s wrong with spending 90% on 10%? Don’t they deserve it? Aren’t they worth it?
I am no longer working in a traditional classroom. The school I work at is for the minority that didn’t experience success in regular school. When I think back to the many different students I’ve taught, most of them seem to do well despite anything I could have offered. Most students managed to learn and grow from the variety of people who worked in our school. It didn’t matter if it was in class or in the office, I found I needed to spend more time on just a few students.
Most young people get support from their parents, an extended family, the community around them. But, there is a minority of young people who simply just need a mentor who cares deeply about them.
We should be making sure we are spending 90% of the time on the 10%.
