I expect a certain level of disdain from the students. I understand. They think I'm old. And what I think is cool they generally roll their eyes at.
What I want from them is their cooperation when it comes to getting through the lesson plan. And when I have that, I'm good.
So, when a student acts like something I say or do is way cool, I'm skeptical. They're doing an Eddie Haskell to my Mrs. Cleaver.
Last week's Eddie liked my earrings and said I was the coolest sub ever because I deigned to give him a fist bump. Uh huh. Sure.
Now, Eddie did his work. Albeit a bit sloppily and in a hurry. And the bare minimum. His buddies were also a bit... Well, not wild per se, but a bit loud. And they were way too eager to get finished with things so they had some spare time to play basketball games on their phones.
Last Friday the topic was tobacco. And they were to do a presentation to the class. Eddie and his buddies wanted to know if they'd get full credit if they did the minimum amount of work. Well...
I knew. I just knew. Even when they volunteered to go first, I knew.
And I was right.
They got up in front, and they giggled their way through their presentation. They had done the work. Sort of. But they didn't really spend any time on actually talking through their points.
Good thing I came up with a grading system for the assignment. Because that wasn't going to fly. (I scored them from a low of OK, through good, very good, and one group got an excellent.)
Their presentation was OK. And no amount of buttering me up is going to change that score. Because they played around way too much.
Your blogs about your students take me back to my high school days and I remember some of the things we students did. My teachers are mostly gone, but I do think of them from time to time and I'm grateful they put up with us back then. Thank you for not giving up on today's students!
ReplyDeleteI'm optimistic about the future. I figure most of them grow out of it.
DeleteThat seems to be the mindset these days. What's the bare minimum I can do to get by.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they were hoping by going first they would get a better grade since you had nothing else at that point to compare their presentation to?
ReplyDeletebetty
I had a college professor who gave extra points to the volunteer who went first on an oral presentation. Any extra points they would have gotten for going first would have made up for their poor performance.
DeleteGood for you!
ReplyDeleteI get cranky when they are on sub behavior.
DeleteAh Eddie Haskall! What a cad he was. At least they did the work. I doubt they really cared what their grade was.
ReplyDeleteI think he cared to a certain extent. I mean, he did show up. On time. And remained in class every day. And did turn in work. There are classes where that is not the case.
DeleteI wonder if they at least learned the lesson that sucking up doesn't always work. Then again, maybe I'm giving them too much credit.
ReplyDeleteAh, the bare minimum. Hopefully they will shed that mindset before their first "real" job. Thank you for giving these students reality checks. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI think most of it is a maturity thing. I bet these boys will be a lot different in two years time.
DeleteSounds like coworkers I've had from time to time. The bare minimum doesn't get you a raise.
ReplyDeleteNope.
DeleteMeant a few Eddie Haskel but never a Mrs Cleaver.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on
I always end up being Mrs. Cleaver in these situations.
DeleteI like the comparison
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteThey need to learn! I know FAR too many adults who just do the minimum necessary and it doesn't get them very far in life.
ReplyDeleteYes, true.
DeleteEddie! I had an Eddie the other day. They take us for fools. If only they knew we're on to every trick they pull.
ReplyDeleteThey're too young to realize that what they're doing is nothing new.
DeleteThe sad thing is that these Eddies grow up but never really change. They have no clue that their "charm" was not going to get them anywhere.
ReplyDeleteOn the bright side, I can avoid the adult Eddies.
DeleteAhhh hopefully they grow up a little. Alas, I have to deal with some adult versions still. Ergs!
ReplyDeleteI am surprised and pleased that as a sub you get to do the grading cos here the supply teachers would not be seen to be qualified enough. Ah but the money is good.
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't get to do grading normally. I scored them because I knew they'd be playing around. Now, if the teacher took that into account when he finished off their grades, I have no idea.
DeleteI'm surprised the teacher would have you grading presentations without a rubric of some kind? It sounds like Eddie and his clan weren't very well prepared at all. How long had they had to work on this?
ReplyDeleteI have no idea if my grades even counted. They probably didn't. They had about an hour to work on this. The teacher had expected to be out one day, and then that grew to nine, so things were kind of all over the place.
DeleteI don't understand the lack of respect here. You are an angel, I say. My school efforts might have been sometimes lackadaisical but disrespect ended when elders or peers respected me.
ReplyDeleteSubstitutes get no respect. But I know that's more about them than me.
DeleteYou have a generous heart, my dear, and a wise mind.
Delete