Success in school requires a lot of work. Not just by having your head buried in the books, but also social skills.
Teachers often are managing behavior issues while trying to teach the lesson at hand. It can be challenging.
But one school in Keller ISD has a secret weapon that helps their students build up a student’s achievement.
One of the first times many of us make tough choices is in middle school. We’re changing classes, there are social pressures.
It’s easy to get lost and at Chisholm Trail Intermediate School, that’s where Mr. Shaffer comes in.
He took in a group of young men, and he’s helping show them the way.
“Mr. Shaffer is a really nice teacher he helped me when people called me small stuff,” said student Judah Baba.
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His mother tells us he was getting called into the principal’s office for acting out, because he was teased, Judah said it was tough to handle. But teacher’s aide Shawn Shaffer helped show him ways to cope.
“He tells me all the time, don’t worry about what they say. He always tells me he was short too and that’s it’s ok and don’t let other people determine your day,” said Baba.
Shaffer's group is called the Gentlemanly Scholars. Students with promise are invited to participate. They talk about their struggles, have guest speakers, even learn how to tie a tie.
The students teachers and parents said the program is helping grades and behavior improve.
Shaffer puts in extra hours, meeting with the young men before school, helping them stay focused on homework. He said he does it because not too long ago he was in their shoes.
“I was a disruptive kid, so I understood, sometimes as adults we forget, their miniatures of us,” he said. “It’s very touching, to have a young man who didn’t want somebody to touch him, and they come up to you and give you a hug and say thank you.”
