This is the penultimate week of school. The kids can smell summer. And it shows in their behavior.
The assignment for the week was a study guide for their final. I clearly stated at the beginning of each period what part of the study guide needed to be completed for a stamp on their stamp sheet (this is their credit for having completed the assignment). I said at the end of each period what I needed to see finished the next day for the stamp. And yet, I still got arguments.
For Monday they were to have completed the first section (there were four sections total).
"If I finish it for tomorrow, will you give me a stamp?"
They did not understand why I would not give them credit for finishing the assignment late. Besides the fact that they spent the class period throwing things, running around the room, and just generally goofing off? I should reward them for playing around for three days? I don't think so.
Then today I had kids surprised when I actually enforced the same rule. For today they were to have completed sections two and three, and yet I still got arguments about them not having completed the assignment.
"But you didn't tell me that we had to complete both sections!"
Um, right. I said it three to four times each period. It was written on the board. And it's my fault they didn't know what the assignment was. Plus, I still got kids asking me to stamp their sheet for Monday's assignment (the one that they didn't finish on Monday).
Sigh.
It's the age, I think. They're not accustomed to being held responsible for their actions. Some of them actually do grow out of it.
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