Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Ack!

The day started out quite well, no blood or whining, we left on time, got to work on time. Then a teacher told me about a new policy- "credit recovery". Students with a 65-69 average can come in during post planning and complete an assignment to get those extra points.

I have a twitch in my right now.

It doesn't matter all the other stuff that we have offered and the student hasn't taken advantage of- in the last 15 and a half weeks of school.: extra credit, extra time, retake quizzes for full credit, correct tests for half credit, tutoring, progress reports, Saturday school. We are only supposed to give work for excused absences. But now we are required to give this recovery work.

I know- I'm taking Thursday and Friday off, but I'm coming in on Saturday for 14 hours to make up the time- I won't lose and sick leave that way, I can "recover" my hours.

At what point are students held responsible for their own actions?
God, I am so sick of this.

Checkit:

Students will rise to your level of expectations. If you lower your expectations, students will not have so far to rise. Kids are kids. It is total BS to give them yet another chance. I don't even want to hear about that "one student who'll pass" That kid will pass anyway, because he/she will do the work all along.


And while I'm at it, at some point in your life you figured out that you are part of a community, and that there are acceptable behaviors and unacceptable behaviors. Like, don't spit on a sidewalk, people walk there. Or, you can't solve all of your issues with violence. You have to learn to use your words, and to hear the words of others. I have a junior who has really gone off half-cocked over some horse-playing. The horse playing had been fine for several days, then Bam, it's not and the Junior is charging the freshmen and won't back off until the freshmen gets hit and pushed. Both students got the same consequence, but the Junior just won't stop. To the point where there will be more consequences. Freakin' Drama Queen. Go ahead and hit the kid so we can send your ass to jail so we can finish the year in peace, fer' crying out loud.

4 comments:

Mrs. Who said...

Gah! I hate the end of the school year.

Hang in there.

And is it 'legit' for students to come in on teacher-planning days? The union here would flip a lid...

Holder said...

yeah-there's no union here.

Mrs. Who said...

I'm not in the union...can't afford it even if I wanted to. But they do serve a purpose sometimes.

Anonymous said...

Holder, would my boy's email address, or better yet, his phone number so you can text msg his stubburn hind end... He'a junior... does that count for anything?

1 more year, 1 more year, 1 more year... Can you hear me chantin'? After that... reality will set in.