This semester I teach about 70 students across three different classes with one spare,usually reserved for recovery meaning I lock my door, play some music, and down a diet Dr. Pepper. Report cards are due out at the end of the week . This is an extremely busy time for all staff as all marking needs to be completed, and other documents like IPPs (Individualized Program Plans) are meticulously filled out and completed.
Back in January I revised my late policy. Last semester I would take any assignment that came in no matter how late. This time around I expect work in by the assigned deadline but offer a maximum of three additional days, with a minor late penalty, until I refuse to accept the material. Last night, I plugged in a lot of zeros and watched my class averages drop like a rock. It is extremely frustrating for me.
What bothers me most is that for too long, too many of these students have refused to take real initiative when it comes to their learning. Most of them are good kids who are not much different than I was at that age. The common problems, though, remain extreme laziness and a general lack of concern for their own academic welfare. I am hoping that the report cards sent home at the end of the week serve as a wake-up call to the nearly 20 students that I have that are now failing their respective courses.
I was venting with a colleague last night and we both came to the conclusion that our education systems have been too quick to give passing marks to those who don't deserve them. We have become unwilling to 'hurt the feelings' of students who fail so we avoid giving them the crushing news that they're lazy, clearly don't understand the material, and shouldn't be in the course. Too many teachers feel sorry and rather than do what needs to be done, they pass these kids through the system and on to future teachers who rightfully demand more than what their new students know how to offer. And so on.
I love my job and I hate being the bearer of bad news. But I have to ask myself if I don't do it, who will?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Wow - reading this post was like a flashback to the start of this semester for me as well. I changed the late policy from "anytime up until the end of the semester", to "you can't hand it in after I've started handing them back". My usual turnaround is 3 days.
The marks on the markbook report the week before March Break were awful for grade 10 academic Science. I had a lot of irate parents on interview night last Wednesday. And then, once you show them the complete lack of effort put forward by their child, the anger turns inside their own house.
I would not want to be my students this March Break. So many zeros to be punished for, so little time.
First of all, I envy you for teaching three classes and having one prep per day. Elementary teachers in Ontario (and I imagine Alberta) don't get the amount of prep time high school teachers get.
I can't only speak about teachers in Ontario. We are not allowed to penalize for late work. Even if teachers recorded incomplete or not handed in assignments as zeros, when it comes time to record a grade on the report card, the teachers need to report the modal average, not the mean average. A couple of missed assignments will have little effect on the term grade. The next part, I can only speak about elementary teachers. If a teacher gives a student a failing grade, that means that the student has practically no understanding of the course curriculum. An IEP/IPP will definitely be needed. A 'D' (50-59%) means that a student has limited understanding. Some kind of intervention may be needed that may include an IEP/IPP, especially in Language Arts/English and Mathematics.
I love my prep this semester as it goes a long way to maintaining my sanity. I started this job back in October when the previous teacher left after 3 weeks on the job. I walked into a full course load, one month behind, and that's for my first teaching assignment. Fun!!
Don't get me wrong because I loved it. But I'm finding that it takes more than a bit more prep time to stay on top of things.
Skinny,
I always like hearing about some of the differences between the provinces. There are definitely those here who are very much opposed to the idea of giving students a zero on incomplete or missed work. There's lot of debate in our school about how best to address the matter.
I know that when I was in junior/senior high we were told that we needed to have a certain mark (65%) in order to move on with the academic streams: 10-20-30 instead of 13-23-33. Nowadays that can't be enforced. The bluff was called so to speak.
The reality is that we have a lot of parents who like to think that their kids will eventually figure it out. It is extremely frustrating to find students in my classroom who shouldn't even be there. Any good teacher knows that it isn't about being mean but it's about being fair. Is it fair to place unrealistic expectations on those students who clearly don't have the background knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in an academic class? How does that help them in the long run?
Common questions and the search for good answers continues.
Post a Comment