Teacher’s Emotional Response to Students’ Literacy Struggles
A Texas teacher has recently captured attention online after sharing his emotional experience concerning his high school seniors’ difficulties with reading and writing. In a video, Darius Williams revealed that on the second day of class, he assigned his students the task of reading two paragraphs and writing a sentence.
Williams expressed his deep concern, remarking, “Something is broken somewhere. It has to be. It’s just completely disheartening to see this level of engagement with students who are simply not literate.” He narrated how he broke down in tears during the lesson, overwhelmed by the response he received.
He explained, “I provided them with scenarios, and we annotated them together. I even gave them answers beforehand, but they still struggled.” Williams noted that despite his guidance, they were unable to complete even a few words. “These are 17- and 18-year-old kids who couldn’t fill in four words. Four words!”
With a heavy heart, he reflected, “I just don’t know what the problem is. It’s only the second day, yet some seniors can’t read, and others can’t write.” He further shared that while they can hold conversations and articulate their thoughts verbally, translating that into written form proved challenging.
In his social media post, he wrote, “I thought long and hard about posting this. But we have to do something. Something is broken. It must be so. It is completely disheartening to see this level of engagement with students who are simply not literate.” The video resonated with many, gathering over 144,000 views on Instagram.
Williams teaches at Wheatley High School, where he is involved with career and technical education programs aimed at helping students prepare for the workforce. The school, along with approximately 130 others in the Houston Independent School District, faced intervention by the state after years of poor academic assessments.
The Houston Independent School District acknowledged the challenges faced by students but did not directly address Williams’ claims. They emphasized the importance of early days in the school year for assessing students’ needs and ensuring they get the support required.
Wheatley High School’s current academic standing also reflects ongoing struggles, earning an overall C grade, with 55 out of 100 for graduation and completion rates.
