Today was an absolutely miserable day. We had extended homeroom because of something to do with 10th grade testing. While homeroom for a few hours isn’t itself a big deal, it ruins the rest of the day because classes are shorter and the kids don’t feel like it’s a “real” day. So they are off the walls, don’t want to work (even less than they usually want to work), and we don’t get through the whole lesson. One of the kids in my third period class talks like there is no tomorrow, even if you are standing right next to him, hand on his shoulder, asking (or telling) him to be quiet, he’ll say “yes ma’am, sorry” and then be chatting again in the next breath. I don’t get it. He was actually pretty good today, one of the Dean’s read him the riot act and it seemed to help – let’s hope this improves. Overall, third period has improved slightly in the past few days – they have a long way to go. Their test scores were also the lowest of all my classes.
Speaking of test scores, we got the scores back today from last week’s Interval Assessments. The District gives assessments every 5-6 weeks to track students’ progress so they know (and their teachers know) where they are in preparation for the standardized tests they take at the end of each year, and for the state graduation exam. Anyway, of the 4 Algebra I teachers at Higgins, my students’ scores were the lowest. There are a few reasonable explanations for this, but at the end of the day the kids aren’t any different between classes, which leaves me with something wrong with my teaching. Which doesn’t help my recent feeling that my kids haven’t actually learned anything. Very frustrating.
My past week or so (or two) since the last post have been mostly unexciting – lots of behavior issues, lots of In School Suspension…and lots of grading that I am behind on. There have been several days I really haven’t wanted to get out of bed and didn’t want to go to school at all – I hope this improves or it’s going to be a long two years. This Friday I have professional development all day, so only a four-day teaching week. I hate to admit this, but I love that. I can’t wait to have a day away from my students, they take so much out of me every that a break is good. Maybe that makes me a bad teacher or something, but I don’t have the patience for five full days of ninth graders every week. I lost it today with one of my students, L, who has been a headache since the first day of school. He’s the one who said my substitute was racist and that’s why he got In School Suspension…and a whole lot of other things. He is regularly in In School – I saw him today and he demanded to know why I wouldn’t teach him and kept sending him to In School. He said I was the only teaching who did that to him, so I must be racist too (remember like 60% of the school is black). This conversation took place in the hall where he was loitering as he had been kicked out of his geography class for being disruptive – clearly I am not the only teacher who has an issue with him. I lost it with him, and explained that I will help him as much as he wants, but he needs to start out by showing up to class, taking the notes, and doing assigned work. I can’t teach him anything when he’s not in class, or is disruptive and inappropriate when present. I also informed him he would keep receiving In School Suspension until he shapes up (my kids don’t realize my math humor when I tell them to shape up, but I appreciate it). He complained the ISSP wouldn’t change anything – I told him he was going to have a long year sitting in a classroom silently all day everyday. We paid a visit to the Dean and he received two more days of ISSP. He is well on his way to being expelled, and it’s the second month of school. I wonder if some kids will ever get it.
On a lighter note, I did have a fun weekend with Anthony here – so a little time to NOT think about school and enjoy the good parts of New Orleans. I’ll post pictures soon!
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