Today has been HSA testing week at school, and a fairly frustrating one for a teacher. Our schedule has been testing all week, and classes in the afternoon. I expected my students to come to the classes in the afternoon every day, but they haven't. My attendance has been around 5-15 in every class, and that's such an imperfect number: not small enough to ignore for a study hall, but not big enough to teach a full lesson to that I can expect the entire class to get.
What's worse is that I feel like the school, and several of my colleagues, are doing a wink-wink, nudge-nudge thing with the kids, like they don't really need to come. There are days like these - for example, after final exams - but for the HSA? Please. Only one grade level takes it every day in the mornings, and, while these kids might be forgiven for at least being tired in the afternoon (not for skipping), the rest of the students should be there. No questions asked.
All my non-attenders will be receiving zeros, as promised. Along with my scorn. When you're 14 or 16 years old, you're simply too young to be deciding which days of school are important and which ones are not. And, as for my IB 3 students, we've got to finish Othello in two weeks; they better be damn sure there will be consequences for not being in class when they're required to be.
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3 comments:
Unfortunately, that's a school climate issue that the administration should have addressed several weeks ago, before there was a problem. Now you're kind of in the middle because you want to crack down on the ones who cut class, but you're hampered by this unwritten policy which is hurting the ones who DO show up.
Maybe it's worth your while to set up a few one-day lessons based on general enrichment, e.g. a day dedicated to Thurber's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" or take off on a tangent from Othello that you wouldn't have otherwise. Then, come finals day, you have a couple of extra-credit questions that the attendees will be able to answer and the cutters won't, and it's their tough luck.
I sent you an email a few days ago but haven't heard back. Please drop me a line so I know I have the right address.
Even after the HSA when we were supposedly back on schedule, there was a mass exodus 11th period, including several of my better students. I suppose I should feel greatful that they deigned to at least stick around for my class...
On a positive note, after years of working at it, all of the bio teachers observed pretty much all of our kids attempting to answer the BCRs in detail. too bad the lazy slugs at MSDE have decided to do away with them.
-The Chaplain
IB students have been put under extreme stress all year since their first day of school, always rushing to get assignments completed and turned in on time, staying up all night during Christmas and spring break reading and writing countless books and essay while they should have been resting.(What breaks from school are for.) Cut your students some slack, they are merely having fun while they are still young. You say the course is called IB English 3 that must mean that your students are juniors. They only have one year left before the real world swarms upon them.
NO ONE SHOULD EVER BE DENIED A HAPPY YOUTH!(Michael Jackson)
I believe that you are trying to do the best for your students but not everything is learned in school.
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