Texsox Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 For teachers it is that time of year when we start looking at lists of kids and their grades and deciding who may get retained. My opinion is changing quite a bit about this since I began teaching. Before teaching I saw it in black and white, you set a standard and those that do not meet the standard are retained. It all seemed so simple. But then I learned that if a student is retained in middle school they are 75% more likely to drop out before earning a high school degree. Retained twice, and you can pretty much forget about them graduating. They don't get any smarter the following year. I give my students so many opportunities to earn grades with assignments that they have a lot of time to complete and with plenty of opportunities to get help. That balances the tests they take and most will have enough points to pass my class. A handful are sweating out the report from our state assessments. I am projecting one student who will probably not have enough points to pass my class. He is also failing a couple others, so he'll probably be back. From all my classes, about 7% are failing two or more of their other core classes (math, reading, science), the threshold for being retained. The seven were contacted Friday with a little sit down with our principal and it's amazing how they are now interested in their grades. He has a unique way of breaking the news . . . "Did you have fun in 8th grade?" "Yes sir! A lot of fun." "Good, because I looks like you will be back" "You know that next week is the uniform drive where you can donate your old uniform" "Yes, then we can wear whatever we want" "You will probably want to keep yours, you may be back next year" They leave that meeting and run to every teacher asking about their grades (which we have been telling them since December) and beg to turn in missing assignments and for extra work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 Is that guy a real jerk deliberately? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share Posted May 21, 2011 QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 21, 2011 -> 08:04 AM) Is that guy a real jerk deliberately? No, just the opposite, you have to know the kids involved. They are the always in ISS, always in the halls having chats with teachers. Smart enough to pass easily, but think they can do whatever and still move on. Which kind of makes me like the hold 'em back and maybe they will grow up about responsibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangeSox Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 Hahahaha oh man, those are some awesome burns he gets on those kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share Posted May 21, 2011 QUOTE (StrangeSox @ May 21, 2011 -> 10:53 AM) Hahahaha oh man, those are some awesome burns he gets on those kids. The one kid I know through sports gives way better burns than this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthSideSox72 Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 21, 2011 -> 08:04 AM) Is that guy a real jerk deliberately? Honestly, given the reactions of the kids, it seems to me that being a jerk may be necessary. 8th graders probably need the occasional verbal head-smack back to reality. I have no problem with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ May 23, 2011 -> 08:07 AM) Honestly, given the reactions of the kids, it seems to me that being a jerk may be necessary. 8th graders probably need the occasional verbal head-smack back to reality. I have no problem with it. I don't think I have a problem with it and I see why its done, but without the context I had to ask. He could have just been a real jerk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y2HH Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 23, 2011 -> 07:52 AM) I don't think I have a problem with it and I see why its done, but without the context I had to ask. He could have just been a real jerk Better he be the jerk now and try to wake these kids up to reality than wait for the world to be the jerk, instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ May 23, 2011 -> 07:07 AM) Honestly, given the reactions of the kids, it seems to me that being a jerk may be necessary. 8th graders probably need the occasional verbal head-smack back to reality. I have no problem with it. In the two months I filled in as an Econ teacher, I had a senior who needed that class to pass who kept telling me how he didn't care about the class, and to just pass him so he could graduate. He also kept saying how he would never use anything from the class again, so why was I making him do all of this. After a few dozen times of hearing this (in addition to other behavioral problems in the class) I told him to realize the class didn't care about him either. And it didn't matter what he did in the class (pass or fail) that no one else's life would be changed by it. I finished it by telling him that there was no way he was going to do less work than everyone else in the class and pass, so he might as well quit complaining and work, because that was the only way he was graduating. And by the way, welcome to adulthood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 So I have a dilemma. One student, who is failing my class because he doesn't turn in assignments, doesn't pay attention in class, etc. passed the state test. I use to believe that if the state set a standard and a kid met the standard he should pass. Who am I to set a higher standard of knowledge, and in the end it should be knowledge of history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 You are also there to teach other skills besides the knowledge in a class, work ethic being one of them. If he doesn't work, he doesn't pass IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts