Christopher Wiler would love for his students at Chester A. Arthur School to be stars in math and reading.
But the thing he wants most is for the boys and girls he has guided for six years to be ready for the real world.
"Mother Nature help the soul if I ever walk up to them on the street and see them doing what?" Wiler asked his 8th grade class on a recent morning, pausing from a language arts lesson.
Xavia Witherspoon's hand shot up.
"If you ever see us on the corner with a 40 in a paper bag," Xavia said seriously, referring to a common size of bottle used to package malt liquor or beer.
Wiler first taught the South Philadelphia students in third grade, when they sported superhero backpacks and baby faces. But a combination of circumstances - Arthur adding new grades every year and a strong bond with the class - kept him in the rare spot of moving up with his students every year.
Wiler spent much of this year helping the 26 students pick high schools for the fall.
Most chose special admission schools, such as Central High, High School of the Future, and High School for Business and Technology, Wiler points out proudly. The competition at such schools shouldn't faze the 26 students - Wiler spent six years reminding them that they were eventually going to have to measure themselves against their peers around the country, around the world.
A slender 34-year-old who wears a dress shirt and pressed pants every day, Wiler is passionate about his profession.
"We're not playing with a hat factory. We're playing with minds. We have got to figure this out," he said, referring to getting students ready for the larger world.
His classroom, decorated with photos of years past and bulletin boards touting the students' achievements, operates by Wiler's bywords - "firm and fair."
Wiler doesn't tolerate talking, and students caught slumping in their seats get: "Slouching! Not high standards!" He corrects their "ummms," pushes them for perfect pronunciation, and demands they be specific about their dreams - don't just talk about making a lot of money. How are you going to get there?
Academics are peppered with practical lessons. During one recent language-arts period, members of the class wrote and discussed their life goals.
"What's the grand prize of high school, the prize for doing the right thing?" asked Wiler.
