Meet the Boys Part III

Buster is the first young man we meet in this part.  He is an avid bike rider, but he tells them that that is not what defines him.  He is a people person and a tactile learner.  He admitted that he puts up with school because he knows that it is going to get him somewhere.  He was interested in pursuing a career in mechanical engineering in case his dream of designing bike frames fell through.  He identified most with the profile of the student who disliked school but was willing to take on the challenge anyway because he knew it would get him somewhere.  

Ian is the next boy that we meet.  He was a very good musician, he had been playing the piano for 9 years. He admitted that he was not a reader, but he admired the imagination of those who could really get into novels and informational texts.  He identified most with the profile that the boy got lost in his reading because Ian got completely lost in his music.  He was very firm and well rounded about who he was and that he was confident about it.  He talked about how he was a little different than most other boys his age, yet he didn't want to change anything. 

Alucard is the third boy that we meet.  He had a huge interest in cartoon art, and brought his sketch pad with him to the interviews.  He loved to read about the supernatural and about drawing, but showed little interest in reading in school.  He was from a very poor family and had to work to help pay bills.  Perhaps he felt like he needed to have a job instead of going to school. 

Geo is the last boy that we meet.  He is a football star, and wants to make something of himself through football.  He was very interested in his grades because of the effect that they have on college recruiters.  His motivation for school was his sport.  He wasn't interested in reading at all, but he loved football.  He would do the bare minimum in school because that is the way he felt his teachers were doing their jobs.  He would work hard in football, but not in the classroom.  

All of these boys valued school very much because they knew how important it was.  They were all willing to do what needed to be done in school, once again, a means to an end.  It would be so interesting if these boys were given the chance to express themselves in school.  What would they be like in the classroom?  I can't help but think about what if their teachers were nurturing them and taking an interest in their interests.