It was a math class. 6th period (naturally). 8th graders.
The assignment was a worksheet. They were to plot points. When the points were connected, a robot appeared on the graph paper. The worksheet was due at the end of the period.
The teacher had written the assignment on the board: "Agenda: worksheet. Due at the end."
I told the class the assignment was due at the end of the period. I passed out the worksheet. I gave directions. Then I repeated that I would be collecting the worksheet at the end of the period.
Most of the class got to work. This surprised me as previous classes had done more playing around than working. I walked around the room, and most of them seemed to be doing what they were supposed to be doing. (A working 6th period? Amazing!)
Then I came up on two girls. They were talking. One girl had nothing written on her worksheet except for her name. I told her she should get to work. She explained that her father helped her with her homework, so she was waiting to take the worksheet home to have him help her with it.
I again explained that the worksheet was due at the end of the period.
She was surprised.
What's the expression? Facepalm. Headdesk. Yeah, all of those.
I really don't know what else to do. Some of them just don't listen.
Monday, April 11, 2011
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It never ceased to amaze me how much some of my students just didn't listen. I had an entire class one afternoon that missed lunch because they weren't paying attention when I said, "hey, kids, it's time to go to lunch."
ReplyDeleteSo I just sat there and waited. I didn't eat lunch so missing it didn't matter much to me. The lunch period was almost over when one of them said, "Hey, weren't we supposed to go to lunch?"
And we never had that problem again.
It's true of anywhere. Some people just don't listen, even when receiving instruction. And they won't learn until it comes back and bites them on the behind (as M.J.'s story above indicates).
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