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Blogger - "I let my students fail my class"
Posted on 1/29/14 at 8:03 pm
Posted on 1/29/14 at 8:03 pm
An interesting read/perspective.
The Life of Bon
quote:
I had an interesting chat with a student the other day. I really love this kid. He is sweet and adorable and shows up to class every dang day. He makes these awkward yet hilarious jokes and the whole class laughs with him because he nails the humor and has this quirky, odd confidence that we can't get enough of.
This student has never passed my class. But he participates, he does work, he delights us with his charisma, he just can't get to that 60%.
At the end of second quarter he stopped trying. While the rest of the class was working on their research paper, he just stared blankly at his computer. Or he put his head down and took a nap. I would tap him or ask him how his paper was going or what I could do to help him. One afternoon when he came after school to get his cell phone I had taken from him (punishment for using it in class without permission) I told him how much I wanted him to pass second quarter and that I believed he could. We wrote a "contract" together and if he could pass the class he would get a "key card" that my school gives out- an entry in a drawing for a car and a $25 gift certificate to one of many local restaurants and stores. He only seemed half interested in the deal, and as our plan rolled out, he really never gave it an honest try. He didn't put in any extra effort, and he failed second quarter.
Earlier this week I saw him messing around in class while all the other students were working on a group project. I really want this boy to pass, but at the same time was a bit tired of pushing and prodding and not receiving any effort back. So I asked him, "Do you have any desire to pass this class? If there is even a small part of you that wants it and is willing to work for it, then I will help you. But if you have decided you are not going to pass the class then just tell me and I will stop bothering you."
The Life of Bon
10
Posted on 1/29/14 at 8:08 pm to Wolfhound45
Some people need to be allowed to fail.
Posted on 1/29/14 at 8:12 pm to Wolfhound45
quote:
Once I realized I only had a certain amount of energy to give to my students, I started to be a little more selective with where I was putting that energy. My first year of teaching I spent 80% of my energy on 20% of my students- the students who would fail no matter what I did, the students who couldn't care less, the students who had severe discipline and behavior problems or barely scraped by. I spent so much energy on that 20% that I ignored the other 80% of my students- the kids who loved learning, the kids who wanted to please me, the kids who actual read the assigned chapters for crying out loud. They were getting the shaft while I tried in vain to reach students who refused to be reached.
It isn't easy to let that 20% go. In many ways I feel like I'm failing my students when I do this. (Both literally and figuratively.) I still don't have it all quite figured out in my head yet. But I know I can't reach every student. I know some kids are going to enter my class hating to read and they are going to leave my class hating to read. Some students will never like me. Some students will think my rules are stupid and my punishments unfair and I will never earn their respect. Some students will leave my class and forget about me completely, holding no lasting memories of any of the work I put in to making that class fun or interesting or meaningful for them.
When I read this part all I could think of is that this is how our policies in Washington should work. We need to stop pandering to the minority percentage, who no matter what, will never get ahead in this country because they don't want to. By pandering to them, they are leaving the majority of hard working Americans out to dry. The ones that truly matter
Posted on 1/29/14 at 8:19 pm to deltaland
quote:
When I read this part all I could think of is that this is how our policies in Washington should work. We need to stop pandering to the minority percentage, who no matter what, will never get ahead in this country because they don't want to. By pandering to them, they are leaving the majority of hard working Americans out to dry. The ones that truly matter
I can agree with this.
Posted on 1/29/14 at 8:28 pm to Wolfhound45
Not much the teacher can do. Some kids legitimately cant get the material and just dont do school well. This may just be one of those kids.
Hopefully he can find a career that will suit his talents.
Hopefully he can find a career that will suit his talents.
Posted on 1/29/14 at 8:30 pm to Wolfhound45
If only the majority of people in this country could apply her realization to the floundering bottom dwellers in our country..
Posted on 1/29/14 at 8:32 pm to bamafan1001
Some kids just don't care about the consequences..
You can't want it more than they do
It's a real struggle for teachers I am sure
The country is in trouble...so many lost kids...they have no clue how rough this life is going to be..
"if you're going to be stupid, you better be tough"
Prosperity goes upward, Poverty goes sideways...that's why the gap keeps increasing
You can't want it more than they do
It's a real struggle for teachers I am sure
The country is in trouble...so many lost kids...they have no clue how rough this life is going to be..
"if you're going to be stupid, you better be tough"
Prosperity goes upward, Poverty goes sideways...that's why the gap keeps increasing
Posted on 1/29/14 at 8:50 pm to Wolfhound45
quote:
Blogger - "I let my students fail my class"
Sounds about right. My teachers never did shite for me. They could have given me a grade or two.
Posted on 1/29/14 at 8:55 pm to Wolfhound45
It's a public school. Does it really matter if they pass or not? They are already in that hellhole for at least 13 years. Why make it any longer for them. Just pass them already.
Posted on 1/29/14 at 9:14 pm to Wolfhound45
If she truly cared about him she should dig deeper into why he is so disinterested.
Also maybe she shouldn't steal his shite.
Also maybe she shouldn't steal his shite.
This post was edited on 1/29/14 at 9:15 pm
Posted on 1/29/14 at 9:22 pm to joshnorris14
Geez, I force him to sit in this room all day, every day; I bore him with my droning on and on; when he tries to use a cell phone and gets interested in something, I take it away; I give him pointless busy work so he can achieve some pointless, arbitrary grade. I'm doing everything I can! Why is he not more excited???
It must be something wrong with the kid.
It must be something wrong with the kid.
This post was edited on 1/29/14 at 9:23 pm
Posted on 1/29/14 at 9:29 pm to Gmorgan4982
I bet this kid wasn't spanked by his parents.
Posted on 1/29/14 at 9:29 pm to Wolfhound45
I teach in a school where the 20% are the ones who have a chance at passing and the 80% will fail no matter how much effort is put into helping them achieve.
Posted on 1/29/14 at 9:45 pm to Gmorgan4982
quote:
Geez, I force him to sit in this room all day, every day; I bore him with my droning on and on; when he tries to use a cell phone and gets interested in something, I take it away; I give him pointless busy work so he can achieve some pointless, arbitrary grade. I'm doing everything I can! Why is he not more excited???
It must be something wrong with the kid.
This. Im all for personal responsibility BUT are public schools really teaching this? Are they really facilitating real learning and real preparation for the real world?
What are the chances this research project was on something so incredibly mind-numbingly boring and stupid that no one in the class will remember anything about 60 seconds after they turn it in?
Sorry for the rant, I am someone who loves learning new things but always hated school.
This post was edited on 1/29/14 at 9:49 pm
Posted on 1/29/14 at 9:48 pm to bamafan1001
quote:
Sorry for the rant, I am someone who loves learning new things but always hated school.
Compare how efficiently and enthusiastically you learn things outside of school vs inside of school.
Posted on 1/29/14 at 9:54 pm to joshnorris14
quote:
Compare how efficiently and enthusiastically you learn things outside of school vs inside of school.
Out of school for sure. I have a stack of books ive read that are so boring to most people, they would put someone on a cocktail of meth and cocain to sleep BUT they are interesting to me and I loved reading them.
If kids must all read the same thing, make them read something that is interesting and will help them out in life.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnagie comes to mind.
This post was edited on 1/29/14 at 9:55 pm
Posted on 1/29/14 at 9:57 pm to CC
quote:
I teach in a school where the 20% are the ones who have a chance at passing and the 80% will fail no matter how much effort is put into helping them achieve.
What if that material is more interesting for one reason or another to that 20% than the 80%?
Posted on 1/29/14 at 10:05 pm to TROLA
quote:
If only the majority of people in this country could apply her realization to the floundering bottom dwellers in our country..
If only people would think about the bottom quarter of people they went to high school with.
25% of 310 million is 77.5 million. That's how many people (of all ages) that are about on a par with your bottom quartile if you went to an average high school.
If you think about it the country is doing pretty good just keeping those dumbasses from starving to death.
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