Keeping Them Productive

I hear the flu is brutal this year.

I covered the reentry class first on Tuesday of last week. There was a big teacher meeting. So, it wasn't until later (when I was supposed to leave that class to go and cover another) that we realized that she wasn't at school at all.

Then Wednesday she called out again. And Thursday.

For some classes, the lesson plans would be an issue by Thursday. But this was reentry. The lesson plan is pretty much the same every day.

Reentry is where students who failed to graduate with their class can continue working towards their high school diploma. They have plenty of time to spend just working through the high school curriculum--four hours a day. Most of the work is on computer, and they just work through each contract until they finish. Then they start a new one.

They have plenty to keep them occupied. But on day three, some had finished their current contract.

Instead of telling me this, however, they just found stuff to entertain themselves with on the Internet.

When I questioned them on this, they explained that they had finished their work. I followed up with, what did they need to work on next? And why didn't they come to me at that point so they wouldn't have to waste their time in class?

I guess they didn't realize that I could move them on to something else.

I suppose it is my job to catch these things. But you'd think that with the amount of times I've covered this class, they'd know by now that I can give them something to do. So that they're not wasting their time while the teacher is ill.

Although, I think they were disappointed. Shopping for shoes is way more interesting than studying STDs.