Two hour class. Four students.
It was special ed. science. Their assignment was what you'd expect in a summer school class--lots of writing, answering questions from the textbook.
I caught a boy on his phone.
"I'm taking a break..."
Um, yeah, that's the sort of behavior that got you stuck in summer school in the first place.
Half an hour left, another boy started to pack up. Nope. He could do something still.
"I'm done."
I informed him he could start on the next chapter.
I know two hours can be long, but that's the only class they had, and they weren't using the time well.
Well, naturally. I suspect that's what necessitated them having to take summer school in the first place.
Oh, boy. Good luck with them if there's a next time.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow's the last day of summer school. So, nope, that was it.
DeleteYeah, that does sound like their behavior is consistent with what probably landed them there.
ReplyDeleteYup.
DeleteHave I asked? Do they have to pay for summer school? Up in Billings, Montana the only summer school they offered was if you failed a class you could make it up during summer at a cost to you (I think it was $110 a credit, but that was now 12 years ago).
ReplyDeleteTwo hours is a long time if you are a teenager stuck at summer school. It must seem like eternity!
betty
Two hours seems like an eternity for a teen in summer school. I wouldn’t have the patience to deal with those kids
ReplyDeleteThey're not even doing the full experience. There's a possibility of three two-hour classes. Some kiddos go all day.
DeleteThey need a time management class first.
ReplyDeleteWell, if he would've done better in school, he would've gotten a break!
ReplyDeleteIf he had taken fewer breaks during the school year... The whole "I need a break" thing is prevalent in special ed. classes.
DeleteEven the title of this post made me smile!
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteYeah, I bet it's tough to get a bunch of summer school kids to sit still for any length of time.
ReplyDeleteI would think two hours of textbook work and writing would be the wrong way for special ed students to learn! Perhaps the students NEED more breaks! Or, an alternative to textbooks? Science is such a hands-on subject, it can be fun! Two hours seems like a punishment for students in special ed. Is that the only option for struggling students? That's why we lose so many of them. I know it isn't your doing, or your curriculum, I am just wondering at the wisdom of it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it would have been more fun if they had done more labs and such. Alas, there were actually a couple different sciences going on at the same time, so it might have been difficult to do more than bookwork.
DeleteGood luck to them as they proceed into the work world. they will need it.
ReplyDeleteHopefully they'll find something that lights them up. That's the best way.
DeleteI started to say...do they get to pick the time they spend in SUMMER school?....Liz, you know me well enough to know that space is not an issue with me, I can cover a lot of it with a lot of signs..
ReplyDeleteYou mean which period it is? I don't think so.
DeleteDo they take more than one class in summer school? I recall summer school being 4 hours with a 15 minute break. Six weeks of U.S. history in summer was easier than a semester (or was it a whole year) with the teacher.
ReplyDeleteI just don't understand....
ReplyDeleteMe neither.
DeleteLike the saying goes: past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour.
ReplyDeleteBy the time boys are in their mid-teens their behaviour patterns are set and changing them after that only comes with a very determined effort on their part.
Sadly, there are many young people who don't seem to learn from their mistakes.
ReplyDeleteThis is why they have so many chances to make things up.
DeleteWe don't have summer school here. We probably should!
ReplyDeleteDepends on how your school system is structured. It probably works just fine without it.
DeleteOf course, after two hours, I'd be kind of done, too. (And, no, I never had to go to summer school.)
ReplyDeleteSure, at the end of two hours, maybe. But after a half hour they "need a break"?
DeleteOy. You wouldn't think two ours would be *that* hard. lol
ReplyDelete