I have asked the kids to keep it to black or blue ink or pencil.
I am getting hot pink, burgandy, and my least favorite, bright red (the color I grade in).
I finally started docking points for using red ink. One student, who is generally very studious and concered about their grade, lost points on ink. When I passed it back I heard them mutter "You gotta be kidding me".
Favorite comment of the week.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Pineapple Sherbet
I had a talk the other day with the Vice Prinicpal. Basically talking about that big question of how do you handle a struggling kid: work closely with him or point him to resources and let him work it out.
After a while the talk turned to my plans for next year.
I have been thinking about that a lot and I am pretty sure I want to move on: I am really liking this as a year of doing something different but I don't think I could do it for a career.
I had been worrying a lot about how/when to bring this up. I thought they might be angry at me, disappointed I was leaving, etc. (even though I'd told them up front that this was an experiment for me).
So I felt a little on the spot, but decided to be straightforward and told her what I was thinking.
After a few minutes of talking I realized what she was really saying: they also were viewing this as an experiment, and were planning all along to use the summer to find a credentialed teacher to replace me. One way or the other, from their POV, this was a one-year gig for me.
I asked if this was at all a question of whether I was doing a good job, and she said no it wasn't about that, they just wanted someone with credentials (she might be saying that to spare my feelings, but knowing her I think she'd say if I were screwing up somehow).
So that brougt up this weird mix of emotions. On the one hand, relief: I am not disappointing them, I am free to look for a job over the summer without feeling treacherous or sneaky, etc.
On the other hand, I felt a little hurt that they wouldn't want me back. It reminded me of a story my Grandma told me about some relative: he'd say that he hated pineapple sherbet, but when they had some for dessert he got mad because no one offered him any.
Pretty much that: I don't want it, but I want to know I could have it if I wanted.
Having that perspective has kind of changed things over the past few days. I feel a lot more affectionate towards the kids. Even if they are being irritating I realize I won't be in their lives very long so I should make it count.
At the same time, I am a lot less willing to put up with their crap. I don't need them to like me, I don't need the school to think I am a good teacher, so if they are being bratty I am a lot quicker to make it their problem and not mine. Since I got the news I have thrown 2 students out class, and made one whole class take a lap around the school (that was fun).
After a while the talk turned to my plans for next year.
I have been thinking about that a lot and I am pretty sure I want to move on: I am really liking this as a year of doing something different but I don't think I could do it for a career.
I had been worrying a lot about how/when to bring this up. I thought they might be angry at me, disappointed I was leaving, etc. (even though I'd told them up front that this was an experiment for me).
So I felt a little on the spot, but decided to be straightforward and told her what I was thinking.
After a few minutes of talking I realized what she was really saying: they also were viewing this as an experiment, and were planning all along to use the summer to find a credentialed teacher to replace me. One way or the other, from their POV, this was a one-year gig for me.
I asked if this was at all a question of whether I was doing a good job, and she said no it wasn't about that, they just wanted someone with credentials (she might be saying that to spare my feelings, but knowing her I think she'd say if I were screwing up somehow).
So that brougt up this weird mix of emotions. On the one hand, relief: I am not disappointing them, I am free to look for a job over the summer without feeling treacherous or sneaky, etc.
On the other hand, I felt a little hurt that they wouldn't want me back. It reminded me of a story my Grandma told me about some relative: he'd say that he hated pineapple sherbet, but when they had some for dessert he got mad because no one offered him any.
Pretty much that: I don't want it, but I want to know I could have it if I wanted.
Having that perspective has kind of changed things over the past few days. I feel a lot more affectionate towards the kids. Even if they are being irritating I realize I won't be in their lives very long so I should make it count.
At the same time, I am a lot less willing to put up with their crap. I don't need them to like me, I don't need the school to think I am a good teacher, so if they are being bratty I am a lot quicker to make it their problem and not mine. Since I got the news I have thrown 2 students out class, and made one whole class take a lap around the school (that was fun).
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Google Ads?
I just noticed that Google's Ad fu, which is supposed to match the content of this blog with appropriate ads, decided to give my blog ads for a dating service for Goths.
???
???
Cracking down
Last Thurs and Fri the kids took a test on quadrilaterals. I will now sum up the entire chapter:
Quadrilaterals have 4 sides.
Parallelograms have 2 pairs of parallel sides. Oppostite sides and angles are congruent, diagonals bisect each other
Rhombuses have 4 equal sides. Diagonals are perpendicular and bisect the angles of the rhombus.
Rectangles have 4 equal angles, all 90. Diagonals are congruent.
Trapezoids have exactly one pair of parallel sides.
Isosceles trapezoids have congruent legs, congruent diagonals, and congruent base angles.
Done.
The tests went horrible. In 2 classes the average was a D, in the other a B (but that class normally averages a high A).
I felt really bad about it. I am a bad teacher, I am not communicating well, etc.
I got some advice from other teachers about how to handle it, they suggested offering a retest.
Fine. We spend the entire class on Monday talking about the test, more on a meta level. How did you prepare? How do you study? What resources do you have available, etc? Then I offer them this deal: they correct the old test. When they give me corrections, they can take a retest, and I will average the grades. Pretty generous deal, I think.
Over the past week I have been working with them to get corrections done. This was an eye opening experience for me. I realize I have been mollycoddling them. I'm afraid that if they fail it's my fault, so I let them run me around. Any little question or problem, any time they get stuck, I gotta jump in and personally step them through it. I am realizing that that just doesn't work: they get the problem done but don't really learn anything.
The breaking point was a recent study hall, trying to get several students to do their corrections.
Student: I need help with this problem.
Me: We did a problem just like that in homework, look at that.
Student: Oh I threw that away.
Me: I WILL KILL YOU (not really).
Same student, later: Oh, I didn't throw it away, here it is. Now show me how to do it.
Me: Why not look at the paper (where the problem is written, all solved, because I did it with them in class)
Student: I want you to show me.
Student 2: I need help with this problem.
Me: OK. What shape is that?
Student 2: A rhombus.
Me: Yes. What properties does a rhombus have (you have to know the diagonals are perpendicular to do the problem)
Student: (blank stare)
Me: why don't you look in your notes to find that out.
Student: (blank stare)
(I go away for a few minutes and come back. Student is in the same position, just staring at the paper)
Student 3: I have my test corrections.
Me: (Looking them over). OK, this one and this one are still wrong.
Student 3: (Looking at a rhombus) Why? The angles are all 90 degrees, right?
Me: Why don't you look in your notes.
Student 3: I don't have them, they're in my locker.
Me: OK go get them from your locker.
Student 3: No, it's too far. Just tell me.
Me: Go get them from your locker.
Student 3: (Yelling) NO! It's right. I'm not doing it again because it's right.
Student 4: I need help with this problem (pointing to a problem in the book)
Me: Did you look at the example problem there (pointing to an identical problem, done step by step, on the facing page)
Student 4: Yes
Me: Really?
Student 4: Yes... (looking at it)... oh... (correctly explains how to do the problem)
SO, new resolution: I am going to make them work harder on their own before I give help. Sounds like a 'duh' now that I am saying it, but it feels like this big epiphany. It will make life a lot easier.
Quadrilaterals have 4 sides.
Parallelograms have 2 pairs of parallel sides. Oppostite sides and angles are congruent, diagonals bisect each other
Rhombuses have 4 equal sides. Diagonals are perpendicular and bisect the angles of the rhombus.
Rectangles have 4 equal angles, all 90. Diagonals are congruent.
Trapezoids have exactly one pair of parallel sides.
Isosceles trapezoids have congruent legs, congruent diagonals, and congruent base angles.
Done.
The tests went horrible. In 2 classes the average was a D, in the other a B (but that class normally averages a high A).
I felt really bad about it. I am a bad teacher, I am not communicating well, etc.
I got some advice from other teachers about how to handle it, they suggested offering a retest.
Fine. We spend the entire class on Monday talking about the test, more on a meta level. How did you prepare? How do you study? What resources do you have available, etc? Then I offer them this deal: they correct the old test. When they give me corrections, they can take a retest, and I will average the grades. Pretty generous deal, I think.
Over the past week I have been working with them to get corrections done. This was an eye opening experience for me. I realize I have been mollycoddling them. I'm afraid that if they fail it's my fault, so I let them run me around. Any little question or problem, any time they get stuck, I gotta jump in and personally step them through it. I am realizing that that just doesn't work: they get the problem done but don't really learn anything.
The breaking point was a recent study hall, trying to get several students to do their corrections.
Student: I need help with this problem.
Me: We did a problem just like that in homework, look at that.
Student: Oh I threw that away.
Me: I WILL KILL YOU (not really).
Same student, later: Oh, I didn't throw it away, here it is. Now show me how to do it.
Me: Why not look at the paper (where the problem is written, all solved, because I did it with them in class)
Student: I want you to show me.
Student 2: I need help with this problem.
Me: OK. What shape is that?
Student 2: A rhombus.
Me: Yes. What properties does a rhombus have (you have to know the diagonals are perpendicular to do the problem)
Student: (blank stare)
Me: why don't you look in your notes to find that out.
Student: (blank stare)
(I go away for a few minutes and come back. Student is in the same position, just staring at the paper)
Student 3: I have my test corrections.
Me: (Looking them over). OK, this one and this one are still wrong.
Student 3: (Looking at a rhombus) Why? The angles are all 90 degrees, right?
Me: Why don't you look in your notes.
Student 3: I don't have them, they're in my locker.
Me: OK go get them from your locker.
Student 3: No, it's too far. Just tell me.
Me: Go get them from your locker.
Student 3: (Yelling) NO! It's right. I'm not doing it again because it's right.
Student 4: I need help with this problem (pointing to a problem in the book)
Me: Did you look at the example problem there (pointing to an identical problem, done step by step, on the facing page)
Student 4: Yes
Me: Really?
Student 4: Yes... (looking at it)... oh... (correctly explains how to do the problem)
SO, new resolution: I am going to make them work harder on their own before I give help. Sounds like a 'duh' now that I am saying it, but it feels like this big epiphany. It will make life a lot easier.
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