Success Stories

Success - How Do You Measure It?

Success can be measured many different ways. When working with GED students, success is usually measured when they have obtained their GED. However, I like to think success is measured more by the life skills they have learned in class rather than just obtaining their GED.

In addition to working on the five areas of the GED test, my team teachers and I incorporate life skills into our classes. One way we do this is by having a guest speaker come once a month to class and speak on a variety of topics. We have had the county extension agent speak to the class on emergency preparedness and another time on nutrition and how it relates to diabetes. Our class population is mainly Hispanic which is the target population for diabetes. If we were able to get one student to change their nutrition habits, we have obtained success.

Many of our speakers talk to the students about community college and admission requirements. We had a representative from the community college district come in and explain financial aid to the students and the process for applying to a community college. Through the discussions with this speaker we have had two students make appointments with him and begin the application process. This is success! Our students are realizing there is more offered to them once they obtain their GED.

Some of our students will come to us and tell us they just want to get a job, they don’t want to do “any more schooling.” For those students we have the career services director from the local college come in and discuss resume writing, filling out job applications and she does role playing showing interview techniques. She will even assign them the task of writing a resume which she will take the time to review and give them some tips on how to improve. Subsequently, students will come by and tell us they have gotten that new job, and they will thank us for the help. Success raises its head one more time.

Several times during the semester we will bring in motivational speakers to talk to the class about the importance of finishing their GED and continuing on with their education or furthering their career by going after the job that used to be outside of their experience. Several times these speakers are GED graduates who provide inspiration to the students with the “You can do it” attitude.

Another area where I believe our students need help in order to achieve success is financial literacy. Several times during a semester I will work with the students using the Financial Literacy workbook (2001) that FDIC has provided to us. I work with the students on checking accounts and debit cards, banks vs. savings and loans, “deals” to watch out for with financial institutions and credit cards. We delve into the world of credit cards, loans and what interest rates are being charged and by whom. We do a lesson on balancing your checkbook and keeping track of debit card use. We compare the different financial institutions to see what works best for each individual student. Does the local credit union help them or will the neighborhood bank be better for the transactions they do?

The other area within financial literacy that I work with the students on is identity theft. We begin our discussion on how widespread identity theft is and that it can and does happen to anyone. We then discuss different ways they can prevent credit card fraud and prevent their identity from being stolen. If we can prevent one of our students from having their identity stolen, success has been obtained.

Many of our students have never used a financial institution, but instead use a check cashing store or the local grocery store to cash their payroll checks. When I tell them they could save money by opening an account, whether it’s a savings account or a checking account, their faces light up. This is money that could be used for groceries or paying bills or even buying something special for their children, not lining pockets of the guy behind the register. This is one more way we have shown them to help their families and be successful.

A successful person is one who leads by example, and we work with our students to show that they can be leaders. Our students fill out assessment forms every month and do a self evaluation on what they have accomplished during the month. Through these assessment forms we build a rapport with our students, and they come to us and let us know what they are doing and how they are doing. One of the items on the assessment form is community involvement, what have they done this month to help their community. The students tell us if they have read to their child’s class, or helped their church collect and sort clothing to be shipped to the poor. We make sure a student is recognized for doing acts of kindness during the month and show that he or she is a leader.

Success is not only measured by obtaining a GED, success is also measured by a student’s ability to function in society, to provide for their family, and to be a leader. If we can help one student achieve this, then not only have we made our students successful, we have been successful as teachers.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (2001). Money Smart Financial Education Curriculum. Washington, D.C.: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Marie is a part-time instructor with the Comal, Guadalupe, and Kendall Counties Co-op in Seguin, Texas. Marie also works as an Administrative Assistant at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin. She is married with 2 grown children and has recently begun her graduate studies.