The new year has begun. With one class of gifted students (At least they claim to be gifted) and 3 classes of regular kids, I am really going full force. As usual, there are the few kids that really get under my skin.

One kid has already earned a nickname (Ivan the Terrible) from his core teachers. He is allowed to ask only 3 questions in class, and has cards to hold up for each question. His latest trick is to raise his hand and start "It's not a question; it's a statement" He is dominating the class, and other kids are not happy with it. I try to ignore his hand after he has used his three cards, but of course, he then blurts out . . .

Then there are the kids that really don't have a clue. I have one girl who forgot how to spell her own name during a review game. (These are 8th grade students). Another simply replies "I don't know" every time she is called on; there is no effort at all. Then there is the lack of homework. After only 9 days of school, there have been 5 homework grades. Some kids have 5 zeroes already. These zeroes don't seem to faze the kids. As a result, I have given TWO quizzes already. Each problem came from their homework. Of course, the same kids are doing the same thing in their other classes . . . .

It's looking like it is going to be a long year . . . . . ..

Well, the end of the year is finally in sight. As of today, there are 10 full days and 2 half days (exams) remaining. I can hardly wait; it has been a long year.

State testing began today. . . . the math section was done. 80 questions, 3 hours to complete. Only problem, my testing group finished in less than 2 hours. As another teacher said, this group is not a group of geniuses. This does not bode well" I agree 100%.

Next week is the algebra test. We shall see how they do. Anyway, tomorrow is the reading test. Hopefully students will do better than I suspect they did on the math test.

OK, so things are still crazy. Just as there was some semblance of order, the school has to go on lockdown. And it could not have happened at a worse time. I had my class of goofballs and knuckleheads. There is a field trip for band and chorus starting tomorrow. It is close to the end of the year. We have state testing in 4 weeks. Could anything have made it worse?

YES. The conference we had this afternoon. Once again, a parent came in looking to lay the blame on anyone except his child or the parents. Today, I was the target. Apparently, I embarrass the student when I call on him and he is wrong. Never mind that I call on students randomly, and give others a chance to help a student if they answer wrongly. Never mind that the student could not give an example of how I embarrass him. Of course, Dad has talked wioth other students (3 or 4) and their parents, and they say the same thing. Also, they are also failing. I guess I am purposely trying to ridicule students who are not doing well. . . . . . . . . . Will it ever end?

OK, so it has been a month since the last post. I have just returned from the NCTM confeence in Atlanta. WHat a place! Nowhere did it say that you would have to walk about a mile or so for each session. At least I came prepared with my tennis shoes! Of course, that is because I was planning to walk from the hotel to the conference center. Since the hotel had a shuttle service, I took that instead.

Many of the sessions were worthwhile. I especially enjoyed Dinah Zike's session. Talk about a bundle of energy! You would never know she is recovering from cancer.

Meanwhile, the same old things are going on in the classroom. We are trying to get ready for the end of year testing, and still have the same things -- apathy and lack of work. There is no way some of these kids will ever pass the test. I spoke with several teachers from other states in Atlanta about this, and see the same things. SIGH!!!!!!!!

Ahhhhhh . . . . . the joy of progress reports. It is amazing how students have no idea they are doing poorly until they see the grade. Then there is a sudden change for a few days (at least). Ours went out on Monday. Today, there were several students who went through the motions of showing that they care a little. By Monday of next week, they will be back to the same old students.

Will they ever learn?

Also, high school registration has begun. Now there is a wake-up call. Students suddenly give a damn about grades. After all, they want to play sports, and take more challenging classes. Of course, they do so against my advice, but what does that matter. At least my AIG kids will choose the correct level for math. Most are not even asking what they should take.

I am doing my annual fear tactic to get the forms in. "If you don't turn in a form, then I get to choose your classes." This puts some fear into the kids - they know I will select the most difficult classes for them!

The Wall of Fame

We have started a team "Wall of Fame". Originally, it was just for Language Arts, but we decided to expand it. In Language Arts, students have to make a 100% on tests to earn a spot on the Wall. For math, I decided to be a little different. My criteria are that students must have shown "Outstanding Improvement." Today, 5 of my students went up on the Wall. They had shown a tremendous amount of improvement - some as much as 50 points - from the last test. None of the students had any idea that the Wall was being expanded to include other subjects for the Wall of Fame.

Hopefully, seeing their names on the Wall of Fame will be the motivation that some students need for the year . . . . especially since progress reports go out next week!

Knuckle Heads and Goofballs (Part 2)

OK, so the other day was not the last straw. THe last straw was today. We started a new unit on Probability. Lots of fun activities and hands on lessons. We started yesterday, and the discussion centered around the lottery and whether or not you ave a good chance of winning. THis lead to today's lesson. We first read an article about the PowerBall lottery, where lots of people had the exact same combination of winning numbers (They missed the PowerBall). THen there were some questions to answer.

That part wasn't bad. THe next part involved some thinking - probabilities when you roll one or 2 dice. I got so tired of "What do we do?" THe directions said "List all combinations of rolling 2 dice. Remember, there are 36 combinations" THis is straight forward, and they are working in their groups . . . . . . . . . . . so of course there are a million questions of "what do we do?" Third Period was the worst (Imagine that; this is home to the knuckle heads and goofballs!)

All I can say is "Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Knuckle heads and Goofballs

Today was the last straw with the knuckle heads and goofballs. The students had 22 problems over the weekend. In my classes, 40-50% of students did not have the assignment. I am tired of students not doing what they are supposed to!

Frustration

Frustration really began today. First of all, the conferences. Will they ever end? And why is it that parents don't care, until their kid gets a bad report card? Shouldn't parents be more proactive, and less reactive?

Second, the general lack of trying. Math students were working on percent problems (sales tax, commission, discount). All I heard was "I don't know what to do!" Since they are all word problems, you first have to read the problem!! Why students won't read I will never understand. This was a group assignment, and most students used their notes and books, as well as spoke to their groups. But there is always one group . . . . . . "T cubed" as I call call them. One was absent yesterday, so immediately said he didn't know what to do. When that failed, it was, "But my group is also failing." It went downhill from there . . . .

It never seems to end. Talk about an exhausting day!!!!!!!!

Report Cards

Report Cards went home on Wednesday. Of the 20 students in my homeroom, 13 received letters that they are not meeting local promotion standards at this time. Basically, that means they are failing at least 2 core classes.

Since the report cards went home, there has been some parent contact. The letter hit home with some students. So far, we have 5 parent conferences scheduled, and have already had one conference. Maybe the reality is setting in for some students. It helped that registration for high school is around the corner, and the guidance counselor has been talking with students about high school. Maybe the wake up call is what was needed. As I said to a parent yesterday, "Should we hit him over the head with a 2 by 4?" I really think that is what is needed for some kids.

Interestingly enough, I only had 5 report cards returned by students on Friday. I guess the fact that Thursday was a snow day did not help. The last thing kids thought about was their report cards. Those that are truly concerned brought theirs back. Those who don't care, didn't.

On a bright spot, I handed back a quiz that was taken. Students who have never passed did well. One student, who is ESL, scored a 95! For him, that was the best he had done all year. Another, who has made no effort, made a 60. For him, this was like making an A - he has never done that well. Of course, then there was the student who scored a 9; he got 2 questions right. Even while doing a group activity, his attitude was one of "I don't know this stuff and I'm going to fail anyway, so why try?" I HATE that attitude!

Already the same thing . . . .

I thought that the 2nd semester would really change for some kids. I guess I was mistaken. THe same ones who act like goofballs and knuckle-heads are still goofballs and knuckle-heads. There have been a few who have seen the light. They are few and far between however. It is sad when 13 out of 20 students in my homeroom are not meeting local promotion guidelines. A letter is going home witht eh report cards tomorrow to that effect. It requests that parents call for a conference. WIth some of these kids, we have conferenced multiple times, and there is still no change.

The new semester. . . .

The new semester started this week. That meant grades and new units to plan. Imagine having to modify 8th grade level material for an ELL who is on a third grade level in Spanish! Time to consult with the ELL teacher. Coincidentally, She is leaving for a new position in the county.

Then there is Ryan. What a student! He is not a discipline problem in class, although he has shown temper before with other teachers. We did our first assignment on percents, in the new unit, and guess who was the first to make a 100? Of course, he had already failed for the first semester, with averages of 12 and 22 for the first 2 quarters, and a 33 on the exam. Finally, I felt like I had managed to get through to him. I was so proud of him! I bragged about him to the class, as well as to the other teachers on the team and the guidance counselor. Maybe the light has started to dawn.