Fridays at the continuation high school are a bit different. Looser. Students who attended Monday through Thursday can "buyout", so classes are smaller. And the students are less willing to do anything productive.
I expect smaller groups, but still I was surprised when only one student showed up for third period (out of 15). Um...
The lesson plan was one I had done before. Since class discussion was required, I figured it wouldn't work with one student. So, I gave him permission to find somewhere else to be. Until a second student arrived (late).
I could do the lesson with two students...
They were not happy with me. But I insisted. And things went better than I expected.
Turns out, it's easier to put students on the spot and make them talk when there's only two of them. At least sometimes.
2 students! what a weird system. glad you got to squeeze something out of it - and whether they liked it or not, they probably got more out of it this way themselves.
ReplyDeleteI think they did. Which was nice.
DeleteNot happy? You mean they don't expect to do any work at school? Just wait until they get into the real world.
ReplyDeleteI would occasionally have classes with one or two students because kids would get pulled out at the last minute for various reasons. If that happened, I just turned the class into a study hall, or maybe pulled out Scrabble or Uno or my Firefly DVDs and saved the lesson plan for the next day, because I was just going to have to do it over anyway. But, you know, I had the flexibility to make that decision.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine that they weren't happy, so I'm glad that things went better than expected for you. :)
I think most of us find it hard to be productive on Fridays :)
ReplyDeleteA small group of two would be easier I think to share things with; they don't have to compete with a larger crowd if they find themselves saying something "stupid."
betty
This is true.
DeleteIf they had to work, why show up? To be truthful I would be one of the many who would not show because it's Friday. A more one on one does feel better and less exposure to possible ridicule later
ReplyDeleteI wonder about that myself. Many are on attendance contracts and such. So, they're forced to be there, but they do nothing.
DeleteIt is crazy the rules schools have. To reward students with a day off because they came 4 out of 5 days of the week. Crazy! But, I guess they have to do what works!
ReplyDeleteAll the schools in the district have one day that's shorter than the others so the teachers can meet as a group. The CHS uses Friday.
DeletePerhaps easy Fridays are prep for the future. I worked in education, government, and non-profit, and regardless of setting, Friday's we're pretty much a free day. You showed up, but little was accomplished. Can't speak for the private sector, though.
ReplyDeleteVR Barkowski
I never heard of buy-outs like that. Those kids were lucky - they got a private lesson. :)
ReplyDeleteThey did.
DeleteSuch an interaction that engaged the students!
ReplyDelete"Buy-outs"?
Students who have 100% attendance and are productive during Monday-Thursday can get permission to miss school on Friday with no attendance repercussions.
DeleteWow! Wish they had done that at my schools! :)
DeleteI have never heard of this before.
ReplyDeleteMary
Lee Andrews & the Hearts
It's unique to the school.
DeleteI won't say it (although I constantly think it) how education has changed since the 1950's....well, maybe I'll say it. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteThis is the continuation high school. Most districts have them. Where the "bad" kids get sent. It's unique to that campus. (None of the traditional high schools do such a thing.)
DeleteSounds like these students got a day that was probably way more productive then they expected. Three cheers for Liz!
ReplyDeleteBarbara, blogging at Life & Faith in Caneyhead
I know I am more comfortable and more likely to participate in a smaller group.
ReplyDeleteThat is so awesome that you had a "class discussion" with 2 students! I imagine they probably gained a lot more from that lesson than if there had been too many more other students in the classroom. I wonder where the other 13 students were?
ReplyDeleteA couple bought out. A few have morning classes too, so they would have been at those. But most just ditched the day.
Delete