School

As the school year ends, (the kids were done Thursday and teachers are done Wednesday) you look back and ask what were the highlights? Did I make a difference anywhere? What could I have done differently?

Only one student failed this year in science and none of my social studies kids failed...that is a marked improvement. I usually have at least 6 to 10 but had a smaller team this year and longer class time so the extra 15 minutes I could use to start their homework with them and show them it wasn't as hard as they thought, finish it with them, or give them just the little extra instruction they needed. The few truly "bad" kids we had who were failing were sent to alternative school early in the year, I think the kids got the idea that we weren't "playing" on the discipline aspect so that helped out a lot too. On the CRCT 11 of my science kids failed - 6 of the 11 were ESOL (ones who don't speak English). Yep, you have come up with the same thing that we as teachers have...if you can't speak and read the language how are you going to pass the state test written in the language even if you know answers. Some of the kids can not even understand the directions. Some are from as far away as Saudi Arabia or Lithuania. All I can do is shake my head and know that a school's AYP (adequate yearly progress) is based on if these students pass a test in a language they can't read...how crazy is that? BUT who listens to EDUCATORS. 4 of the 5 that are left I could have picked out anyway. They almost didn't pass for the year. The last one did each of the two sections of the test in 4 min and 30 sec.  Yes readers...the 7th grader answered 35 scenario science questions that would have taken me, with my doctorate degree, longer to read. So I knew he would not pass either. On the up side, I had a 15% exceed rate. This is not one of my highest. and I wasn't pleased but it could have been worse. So I will take it and work harder next year on that one. A total of an 85% pass/exceed rate is ok but again...have had higher....but still pretty good for this group of kids and counting the ESOL kids.

The kids themselves were very interesting. I had one little girl who hugged me between every class. She was the sweetest thing in the world! I don't know what I will do without her everyday and her smiling face wishing me a good day every 70 minutes. To the other end of the spectrum when the student asked me if he lost weight when he sold his soul to Satin this weekend? OR the one who, on career day said we didn't have anyone for his chosen profession that he could talk to. I asked what his profession was? He calmly replied "Ax Murderer".  I took him to the police department and introduced him and told the officers there his ambition. They showed him their pink handcuffs. After they were done I took him to the district attorney's office and they talked to him about his chosen profession. I told him I was glad to help him on his way an there was something at the career fair for everyone. Then I reported him to the counselor and they talked to his parents because I didn't know if it was a gifted kid being funny (because that is in their nature as a gifted kid) or serious. I had multiple students who made bomb threats....4 I think who wrote them on the walls/stalls of the bathrooms. I had all ends of the spectrum this year. It really was a strange year discipline wise. They either did HUGE things or nothing.

So I made a difference educationally for quite a few because they all passed. Only two students in the team have to go to summer school and only one has to take science.  They did well with the CRCT. Discipline wasn't bad - took care of that early. But I am not sure what I could have done differently to head off some of the big things that happened like the bomb threats. One student did them because I wasn't there - he didn't like my sub but I had to have the surgery. The others just wanted out of class. I can't help that. The ones that went to tribunal were written up by me but it was because of willful refusal. They just wouldn't do what was asked when sent to me for in-house. If I tell you to sit down and get to work..you know what...you better sit down and get to work. There is no answer to that other that Yes Mam...or Ok I will or I need help with this. If you choose to answer another way I ask you to rephrase what you are saying because it is disrespectful and it will get you in trouble...or if your refuse...I ask if you are willfully refusing to do what I ask because willful refusal is an office referral and you don't want and office referral. They just don't seem to get it. I give them a choice. They just don't choose the right one.

Oh well, all in all, a good year academically and behaviorally. I liked the kids and they made me laugh.  They kept asking me to go to 8th grade and teach science there for them. I told them no. They can get my best friend there and she teaches like I do so they will be fine. Good luck to them and bring on the new 7th graders!!!!