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Teacher Feature
Karen Cross, English Teacher, STRIVE ProgramKaren Cross began teaching more than 30 years ago. During the past two years while teaching in Putnam City’s innovative STRIVE program, one of her main goals has been to help her students uncover “the dream within – the desire for something better.” Below, Cross shares about the STRIVE program and her teaching career.
Students are referred to STRIVE by their regular high school because they are behind on credits. They have arrived at our doors for many different reasons, such as illness, poor attendance, life crisis or bad judgment. STRIVE offers students the possibility to accelerate their credits through self-paced individualized programs. We believe STRIVE increases the district’s graduation rate by offering a viable option for students to redeem lost credits while maintaining the district’s educational standards.
Students are encouraged to return to their home school after they are on track with credits and attitude. STRIVE should not be seen as the end-of-the-school line for students but instead as a depot for educational refueling.
STRIVE has many programs. It provides services to high school students, middle school students and this year, elementary school students. Students who are unable to attend the day school program attend night school. Others who cannot attend school because of an illness, injury or other reasons access the district’s services through the home-based and homebound programs.
I believe the community benefits the most from STRIVE as it helps create a higher number of students who have graduated from high school. Some students will choose to attend college. Others will continue to work at jobs that began during their days in high school. Whatever the move, our students will be moving forward with their high school diploma.
 I have always liked new and innovative programs. Prior to teaching at STRIVE I had the opportunity to teach at Putnam City Academy, another alternative educational program whose mission also focuses on graduation for “at-promise” students or students whose life situations and or personal choices temporarily derailed graduation with their class. The purpose and intent of the program drew me to STRIVE.
We use the basic techniques of teaching: individualized instruction and a caring adult in the classroom who is a facilitator, a mentor, a confidant and a cheerleader for each student. Sometimes we as educators don’t always see the impact of our efforts. However, I recently received a telephone call from a student inviting me to his wedding who said he wanted me to attend this event because I was an agent for change in his life. He did not realize that each year students are also agents of change in our lives.
Hour after hour, day after day, teachers dance on tables, spin plates and find ways to reward students. We do whatever it takes to help them uncover the dream within, the want, the passion – the desire for something better.
Success is relative. Sometimes success can be a student suddenly realizing education is important so his or her attendance increases. Sometimes success can be in the eyes of a student who has just realized he/she will walk across the stage in May with fellow classmates. Success can be a student who finally challenges himself/herself to move beyond D’s to earning grades that reflect ability, integrity and strength of character. I think sometimes we look for huge events, but it is the daily struggle of those who learn to make it through that encourage me to continue to teach. Those who come to school in spite of … those who study in spite of… those who keep on passing one class at a time in spite of whatever circumstances they face.
I have a simple statement written on my board that reads “Rise to your effective place.” Seeing the self-realization of that statement in my students is what I enjoy most in my teaching. I look forward to work, fun and a sense of community within my classroom that incorporates trust, respect and, on some days, a lot of negotiating.
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