Apparently, I am "a jerk" and I "have the worst attitude in the school" according to one of my students.
How do I know this? Because the student wrote it down in his literary analysis (which, incidentally, was not a literary analysis, but a hate letter). And turned it in! I am also, "cool outside of school", but "stuck up in school."
The student goes on to say that I "never helped [them] with an assignment [they] always had to come in for tutoring which is bullcrap [they] all have jobs and lives to live." (note: the grammar mistakes are the students)
Here is my response:
Thank you for your impute. I highly value your opinion as a hard working student. Next year, I will definitely take into account everything you so eloquently said when students who chose not to pay attention in my class decide (at the last minute) that they do not understand an assignment. You are right of course, I should drop everything, change the entire class syllabus and re-teach lessons that I've already taught, and have passed out handouts for, when students don't pay attention in class the first time (or second or third time)...instead of asking them to come to tutoring for individual instruction. You have changed my entire teaching philosophy.
Of course, I have not (and will not) give this response to the student, but it sure felt good writing that out. The student in question is a major burn-out. He is probably high most of the days he is in school. He hardly ever pays attention in class, but the main reason I think he was so mad at me was because I caught him plagiarizing his last literary analysis. I warned him that I didn't believe it was his words when I read the rough draft... sure enough, when I ran it through plagiarism software, it found multiple web sites that he took the information from word-for word. Sadly, the assignment was make-up work for an analysis that he chose not to do earlier in the year. I was trying to help him raise his grade so he could get off of probation. Silly me. Bending over backwards to help a student...
I am constantly amazed by how some students are able to make everything the teacher's fault. I have heard multiple kids say the reason they are in trouble is the teacher's fault. I asked one student why he was in ISS (in school suspension), and he said it was the teacher's fault. Apparently the teacher caught him chewing tobacco in class. I asked how that was the teacher's fault, and he said the teacher shouldn't have been looking. Seriously?
What is happening to the youth of today?
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Monday, April 27, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
You Can't Win Them All
I was talking to a fellow co-worker today about one of our custodians at work. This lady is just not a happy woman. She walks around with a perpetual frown and I've only noticed her smile and laugh at one or two people. She hates me. No, I'm not exaggerating...she HATES me. I don't know why...I don't know what I did to her. I spent the last two years trying to be nice to her. I thought I would win her over with my kindness. I always went out of my way to say good morning and smile at her...didn't work.
This might bother me more if she didn't seem to hate the majority of teachers at the school. (Oddly enough, she likes one of the coaches. I've asked him what his secret is, but haven't figured out the key to his success yet.) This woman is fairly grouchy to everyone she comes into contact with.
She has a granddaughter that tags along with her a lot while she is at work. I've been super nice to this girl for 3 years now (and she's not the easiest girl to deal with) and it doesn't seem to get me anywhere with her grandmother. In fact, this lady had the nerve to tell me that I had never liked her granddaughter and that I was treating her bad...What? I even gave her granddaughter a Christmas gift one year. Now I'm just avoiding them both because it seems to be the best defense at this point. Anything I say is misconstrued and turned around in her mind. I seriously wonder if she's not "touched in the head" as they used to say in the old days.
There's just no pleasing some people.
I've decided that I should add her to my prayer list. I can only imagine how unhappy she must be all the time to walk around looking and acting the way she does. I also need to pray that I won't feel so negative towards her.
Maybe one day we'll be friends...Then again...You Can't Win Them All!
Do you have someone like this in your life?
This might bother me more if she didn't seem to hate the majority of teachers at the school. (Oddly enough, she likes one of the coaches. I've asked him what his secret is, but haven't figured out the key to his success yet.) This woman is fairly grouchy to everyone she comes into contact with.
She has a granddaughter that tags along with her a lot while she is at work. I've been super nice to this girl for 3 years now (and she's not the easiest girl to deal with) and it doesn't seem to get me anywhere with her grandmother. In fact, this lady had the nerve to tell me that I had never liked her granddaughter and that I was treating her bad...What? I even gave her granddaughter a Christmas gift one year. Now I'm just avoiding them both because it seems to be the best defense at this point. Anything I say is misconstrued and turned around in her mind. I seriously wonder if she's not "touched in the head" as they used to say in the old days.
There's just no pleasing some people.
I've decided that I should add her to my prayer list. I can only imagine how unhappy she must be all the time to walk around looking and acting the way she does. I also need to pray that I won't feel so negative towards her.
Maybe one day we'll be friends...Then again...You Can't Win Them All!
Do you have someone like this in your life?
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Lazy Kids
I’m actually not frustrated with any kids right now or in the middle of a rant, so I think this might be a good time to reflect on Lazy Kids (LK).
LKs are very frustrating for a teacher. First, you need to keep in mind that teachers are expected to have some sort of success rate, and this could become worse under the new President’s regime. It is dangerous to put teachers in this situations because one of the results is “dumbed-down” lessons, lessons designed to help students pass the class with ease. While I think it is important that truly bad teachers are removed from the school systems, sometimes we need to really look at who is at fault for a student’s poor grades.
I may step on some toes here, but I believe that the majority of student problems go right back to the parents. I am not talking about students who try but have difficulties in certain subject areas. No, I’m talking about LKs and other problem students, but for the purpose of this post, let’s focus on LKs.
Lazy kids are a product of lazy parenting in my opinion. (yes, I know I don’t have kids of my own, but I do see over 100 kids walk through my door every school year.)
Here are two of the major parenting problems I have seen that lead to LKs.
• Indulgent parenting – these parents usually let their kids have whatever they want. Sometimes that comes in the form of things, but more often it has more to do with indulging a kid’s behavior. I know of multiple parents that come in and blame the teacher, the administration and other kids for their own student’s bad choices. What are you teaching your child if you do this? I am reminded of a recent case, in the news, where cheerleaders were thrown off the cheerleading squad for texting pics of themselves in compromising situations, yet the parents sued the school for punishing their kids. Seriously! My father always told me that if I got in trouble at school, I was getting it twice as bad when I got home…needless to say, I behaved.
• Absent parents - These are parents who don’t seem to take an active roll in their child’s education. If your child comes home with poor grades, you need to be calling the school and finding out why. If you get a call or a note from a teacher that says your child is not doing the work in the class, sleeping in class, or any other number of LK behaviors, you need to act fast.
Kids need to be held responsible for their actions. If you have a ten-year-old who’s teachers say they are lazy, it is your job to do something about it. You should be the motivator in your child’s life, not the teacher.
If you have a 10-year-old that is lazy and doesn’t work very hard in school, then you will have a 16-year-old that fails (or almost fails) most of their classes. UNLESS…YOU DO SOMETHING! Take everything away. There should be no privileges until they get their grades up, start doing the work and paying attention in school. Kids don’t have to have a cell phone, we didn’t and our parents managed just fine. Kids don’t have to have a car. It may be more convenient for you if they have one, but they don’t need it. Jobs are a privilege so kids can have spending money, and they take time away from studying. If your kid is having trouble juggling everything in their schedule, then the job has to go (then there’s really no need for a car). And…unless your kid is going to get a scholarship for their extra-curricular activities, they can go too (hence the extra part). By the way…if their grades are bad, it doesn’t matter how good they are on the football field; even if they make it to college, they probably won’t last. Sorry, but that’s the truth.
Schoolwork has to come first. Everything else is second.
Also, don’t assume all of your kids can be raised the same and turn out the same. I have a friend who is a teacher as well as a parent of a LK, yet has other kids who are top of their class. The parents assume that they raised the kids the same, so the LK must not be their fault. Yes…it is. The “good” kids just don’t have the same tendency to test boundaries. Dig a little deeper and you find that the LK’s “punishments” never really last. The LK gets kicked out of the house (he’s 18 and let me tell you, he deserves it), he comes back within a week, and every time the parents say that this time it will be different. You have to follow through with your punishments or they mean nothing.
And back the teachers up. Don’t agree with your kids or try to make them feel better by telling them that they don’t need algebra in the real world (I know you don’t, but don’t tell them that). Don’t tell them that you know Shakespeare’s difficult, so you don’t expect them to do well. I hate that. I have parents that I am sure tell their kids something very close to that, but they are just giving their kids permission to fail. If my students’ parents ever came and asked me, I would gladly tell them that I thoroughly explain the entire plot of Macbeth as we go. I also give the kids the questions and answers to the test during the review the day before. They don’t even need to understand Shakespeare to do well. Seriously…it’s not hard. Maybe you should check in with the teachers every now and then just to see what’s going on in your child’s classroom.
Like I said earlier, I’m sure I’ve stepped on a few toes. However, it is the parent’s job to prepare their students for everything the teacher is trying to teach them. Teachers cannot do their job, if the parents won’t do theirs.
Let me know what you think. Do you know any LKs or Lazy Parents?
LKs are very frustrating for a teacher. First, you need to keep in mind that teachers are expected to have some sort of success rate, and this could become worse under the new President’s regime. It is dangerous to put teachers in this situations because one of the results is “dumbed-down” lessons, lessons designed to help students pass the class with ease. While I think it is important that truly bad teachers are removed from the school systems, sometimes we need to really look at who is at fault for a student’s poor grades.
I may step on some toes here, but I believe that the majority of student problems go right back to the parents. I am not talking about students who try but have difficulties in certain subject areas. No, I’m talking about LKs and other problem students, but for the purpose of this post, let’s focus on LKs.
Lazy kids are a product of lazy parenting in my opinion. (yes, I know I don’t have kids of my own, but I do see over 100 kids walk through my door every school year.)
Here are two of the major parenting problems I have seen that lead to LKs.
• Indulgent parenting – these parents usually let their kids have whatever they want. Sometimes that comes in the form of things, but more often it has more to do with indulging a kid’s behavior. I know of multiple parents that come in and blame the teacher, the administration and other kids for their own student’s bad choices. What are you teaching your child if you do this? I am reminded of a recent case, in the news, where cheerleaders were thrown off the cheerleading squad for texting pics of themselves in compromising situations, yet the parents sued the school for punishing their kids. Seriously! My father always told me that if I got in trouble at school, I was getting it twice as bad when I got home…needless to say, I behaved.
• Absent parents - These are parents who don’t seem to take an active roll in their child’s education. If your child comes home with poor grades, you need to be calling the school and finding out why. If you get a call or a note from a teacher that says your child is not doing the work in the class, sleeping in class, or any other number of LK behaviors, you need to act fast.
Kids need to be held responsible for their actions. If you have a ten-year-old who’s teachers say they are lazy, it is your job to do something about it. You should be the motivator in your child’s life, not the teacher.
If you have a 10-year-old that is lazy and doesn’t work very hard in school, then you will have a 16-year-old that fails (or almost fails) most of their classes. UNLESS…YOU DO SOMETHING! Take everything away. There should be no privileges until they get their grades up, start doing the work and paying attention in school. Kids don’t have to have a cell phone, we didn’t and our parents managed just fine. Kids don’t have to have a car. It may be more convenient for you if they have one, but they don’t need it. Jobs are a privilege so kids can have spending money, and they take time away from studying. If your kid is having trouble juggling everything in their schedule, then the job has to go (then there’s really no need for a car). And…unless your kid is going to get a scholarship for their extra-curricular activities, they can go too (hence the extra part). By the way…if their grades are bad, it doesn’t matter how good they are on the football field; even if they make it to college, they probably won’t last. Sorry, but that’s the truth.
Schoolwork has to come first. Everything else is second.
Also, don’t assume all of your kids can be raised the same and turn out the same. I have a friend who is a teacher as well as a parent of a LK, yet has other kids who are top of their class. The parents assume that they raised the kids the same, so the LK must not be their fault. Yes…it is. The “good” kids just don’t have the same tendency to test boundaries. Dig a little deeper and you find that the LK’s “punishments” never really last. The LK gets kicked out of the house (he’s 18 and let me tell you, he deserves it), he comes back within a week, and every time the parents say that this time it will be different. You have to follow through with your punishments or they mean nothing.
And back the teachers up. Don’t agree with your kids or try to make them feel better by telling them that they don’t need algebra in the real world (I know you don’t, but don’t tell them that). Don’t tell them that you know Shakespeare’s difficult, so you don’t expect them to do well. I hate that. I have parents that I am sure tell their kids something very close to that, but they are just giving their kids permission to fail. If my students’ parents ever came and asked me, I would gladly tell them that I thoroughly explain the entire plot of Macbeth as we go. I also give the kids the questions and answers to the test during the review the day before. They don’t even need to understand Shakespeare to do well. Seriously…it’s not hard. Maybe you should check in with the teachers every now and then just to see what’s going on in your child’s classroom.
Like I said earlier, I’m sure I’ve stepped on a few toes. However, it is the parent’s job to prepare their students for everything the teacher is trying to teach them. Teachers cannot do their job, if the parents won’t do theirs.
Let me know what you think. Do you know any LKs or Lazy Parents?
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Ice Warnings
Well, we're expecting lots of ice coming in starting tomorrow... I'm not sure how I feel about that. They are saying we could get between 1/2 and 3/4th an inch of ice starting sometime Monday mid-day. Last time we were supposed to get ice, it went north of us. I'm not sure we will get lucky twice in a row.
I don't mind getting some time off work. If it does what it says, I'm thinking we will only have school on Monday and Friday (and I'm taking Friday off). That sounds good, but of course those days must be made up and they will start taking away Spring Break soon.
Also, I love how pretty it is with everything covered in ice, but it is so dangerous. Ice on trees and power lines. *shudder* I would hate to be out of power. Luckily, I have relatives next door and they have some wood heat in the house, so I can walk across the road to their house. This is really good considering I live on a hill and if there's ice, there's no getting out of here or anyone coming up to help.
I'll keep you apprised of the situation.
I don't mind getting some time off work. If it does what it says, I'm thinking we will only have school on Monday and Friday (and I'm taking Friday off). That sounds good, but of course those days must be made up and they will start taking away Spring Break soon.
Also, I love how pretty it is with everything covered in ice, but it is so dangerous. Ice on trees and power lines. *shudder* I would hate to be out of power. Luckily, I have relatives next door and they have some wood heat in the house, so I can walk across the road to their house. This is really good considering I live on a hill and if there's ice, there's no getting out of here or anyone coming up to help.
I'll keep you apprised of the situation.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Back To Work
So it was back to work today. If you didn't already know, or hadn't already guessed...I'm a teacher. I teach American Literature to 16 and 17 year-olds. I have been off for Christmas Vacation for the past two weeks and today it was back to the grindstone. I'm not going to lie...I really needed one more week off before I would have been bored enough to want to go back to work. They are calling for a chance of freezing rain overnight and the kids aren't the only ones that are hoping we stay home tomorrow.
I know that many of you are probably thinking that teachers are lucky because we get time off for Christmas Vacation, Spring Break (if we don't have to make up snow days) and then of course there's summer vacation. First of all, we only get paid for 9 months of work, our salary is just spread throughout the 12 months. Secondly, and I think this is the big one, would you want to have to put up with all those kids? Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but it is an extremely stressful job dealing with all those kids. I have over 100 kids go through my room during a day and not all of them are angels by any means. I NEED my vacations. I don't know about the rest of the teachers out there, but it's how I keep from losing it on some of those kids. I work my butt off and so many of them could care less. I had 5 kids sleep through my class today...
Sorry...I think I got on a soapbox there.
Anyway, I spent the first week of my vacations doing family stuff and organizing/cleaning the house; I didn't have much time to myself. I spent the second week enjoying myself (playing my Wii, watching movies, catching up on my Tivo recordings and hanging out on the internet) as well as spending more time with my family. I really could have used a few more days to just relax.
So come on freezing rain!
I know that many of you are probably thinking that teachers are lucky because we get time off for Christmas Vacation, Spring Break (if we don't have to make up snow days) and then of course there's summer vacation. First of all, we only get paid for 9 months of work, our salary is just spread throughout the 12 months. Secondly, and I think this is the big one, would you want to have to put up with all those kids? Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but it is an extremely stressful job dealing with all those kids. I have over 100 kids go through my room during a day and not all of them are angels by any means. I NEED my vacations. I don't know about the rest of the teachers out there, but it's how I keep from losing it on some of those kids. I work my butt off and so many of them could care less. I had 5 kids sleep through my class today...
Sorry...I think I got on a soapbox there.
Anyway, I spent the first week of my vacations doing family stuff and organizing/cleaning the house; I didn't have much time to myself. I spent the second week enjoying myself (playing my Wii, watching movies, catching up on my Tivo recordings and hanging out on the internet) as well as spending more time with my family. I really could have used a few more days to just relax.
So come on freezing rain!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
If I Won The Lottery
What would you do if you won the lottery? Let’s say…10 million; I’m talking about clearing 10 mil, not winning 10 mil. Many lottery winners go bankrupt within a few years. I think it’s because they let the money go to their heads and just spend, spend, spend.
Here’s what I would do with 10 million:
1. Get an good lawyer, one that understands investments, etc. Do this and get advice BEFORE telling anyone about the money or contacting the lotto people. I heard this is what you should do, so…
2. Quit my job – now I wouldn’t do this if I won anything less than 2 million, but with 10 million in the bank…I think I could afford to do so.
3. Plan to live off the interest and investments. 4% interest of 10 mil is $400,000 a year… That’s a lot more than I’m making now. This would include, of course, a good money manager.
4. Build a house. Nothing too big, just with what I need/want. Amenities would include:
a. 3 bedrooms (mine in the basement without windows so there would be NO
LIGHT!!)
b. entertainment room...theater style with theater seating (this is my big
house splurge), includes a kitchenette
c. gourmet style kitchen
d. Reading room/library for all my books (that I no longer read because of
the Kindle).
e. Sun room/breakfast nook
f. great-room off the kitchen for entertaining
g. indoor swimming pool (this is the other splurge)
h. 2-3 car garage
i. possibly a craft room or outbuilding for all crafts, maybe even a kiln
* nothing huge, no gold fixtures or faucets, nothing too expensive, this isn’t a
mansion, just a really nice house.
5. Buy the truck I’ve always wanted: Brand new Chevy, short-bed, single cab, black, standard transmission, tinted windows
6. Start college funds for the kids (Niece and Nephews)
7. Spend my days doing whatever I want…hanging out with the kids and rest of the family, playing on the internet, take more college classes, maybe even get a second degree in graphic design, read, blog, watch movies, and TRAVEL THE WORD!
8. Give money to the church to help with missions and growth. Also, help support a friend who works in the mission field.
Now of course there are some things I would want, but probably wouldn’t buy because that’s how lotto winners become bankrupt… ‘64 ½ Mustang convertible and/or ’68 Blue Chevette convertible, actually that’s all I can really think of, maybe I will eventually buy the Chevette (it’s the cheaper of the two). It would be hard not to buy stuff for my family and friends. Hopefully with a good money manager, I could set up an annual amount that I could spend on people.
I love contemplating this kind of thing, but winning the lottery is probably not going to happen, especially since I don’t play. Maybe I should start… somebody has to win!
Here’s what I would do with 10 million:
1. Get an good lawyer, one that understands investments, etc. Do this and get advice BEFORE telling anyone about the money or contacting the lotto people. I heard this is what you should do, so…
2. Quit my job – now I wouldn’t do this if I won anything less than 2 million, but with 10 million in the bank…I think I could afford to do so.
3. Plan to live off the interest and investments. 4% interest of 10 mil is $400,000 a year… That’s a lot more than I’m making now. This would include, of course, a good money manager.
4. Build a house. Nothing too big, just with what I need/want. Amenities would include:
a. 3 bedrooms (mine in the basement without windows so there would be NO
LIGHT!!)
b. entertainment room...theater style with theater seating (this is my big
house splurge), includes a kitchenette
c. gourmet style kitchen
d. Reading room/library for all my books (that I no longer read because of
the Kindle).
e. Sun room/breakfast nook
f. great-room off the kitchen for entertaining
g. indoor swimming pool (this is the other splurge)
h. 2-3 car garage
i. possibly a craft room or outbuilding for all crafts, maybe even a kiln
* nothing huge, no gold fixtures or faucets, nothing too expensive, this isn’t a
mansion, just a really nice house.
5. Buy the truck I’ve always wanted: Brand new Chevy, short-bed, single cab, black, standard transmission, tinted windows
6. Start college funds for the kids (Niece and Nephews)
7. Spend my days doing whatever I want…hanging out with the kids and rest of the family, playing on the internet, take more college classes, maybe even get a second degree in graphic design, read, blog, watch movies, and TRAVEL THE WORD!
8. Give money to the church to help with missions and growth. Also, help support a friend who works in the mission field.
Now of course there are some things I would want, but probably wouldn’t buy because that’s how lotto winners become bankrupt… ‘64 ½ Mustang convertible and/or ’68 Blue Chevette convertible, actually that’s all I can really think of, maybe I will eventually buy the Chevette (it’s the cheaper of the two). It would be hard not to buy stuff for my family and friends. Hopefully with a good money manager, I could set up an annual amount that I could spend on people.
I love contemplating this kind of thing, but winning the lottery is probably not going to happen, especially since I don’t play. Maybe I should start… somebody has to win!
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