Priorities

Ninth grade math. They... uh... had, um, a word search...

Well, they're not my class, so I rolled with it. They were happy to have an easy day. Easy points.

By fourth period I was no longer too worried about their "work". I should have known better.

Mostly, the kiddos finished the word search quickly, and then they found something else to do.

But, not very long into period four, I noted a group of four boys clearly competing on a video game on their phones.

(There are days I let this sort of thing slide. If they had had a longer assignment or something a bit more academic, the period would have felt less like a free day, and I would have been all over the boys to get to work.)

Still, I knew what was going to happen, and I decided to let it.

At the end of the period, I called for the word searches. A majority of the class had already given them to me, but I like to make a final call to make sure all of them get a chance to turn it in.

The gaming boys...

"It's due?!?"

"Can I do it for homework?"

When I passed it out, I said "due at the end of the period". I was crystal clear. Besides, why would something that is clearly busy work need to be finished at home? (Sometimes teachers leave work that is just filler to keep them busy. That is so much better than leaving them up to their own devices, so I am grateful for those assignments even if I know the kiddos don't invest much energy into them.)

I was a bit too happy that they turned in word searches with two or three words found. If they chose to waste time...

(If only they had done what everyone else did that day and finish the word search first, then got out their game, they would have been fine. It's a lesson I hope they learned.)

Yahoos

Some students...

11th grade English. They had a couple articles to read and questions to answer. Standard fare.

Then, because, well, just because, Mr. C also had an extra credit assignment for them. they had a choice to do this after finishing the day's work.

I gave the instructions, or tried to. A couple of the kiddos weren't giving me as much attention as I'd like. As in, complete. (I only had a few things to say. Complete attention for two minutes is not too much to ask.)

So, unsurprisingly, a little misunderstanding cropped up. I noticed a knot of boys, the same ones who were distracted while I explained things, not doing any of the work.

"But it's extra credit..."

Um no. No, it wasn't. And if they had been listening earlier...

"I'm failing this class, anyway."

Of course. Because when you're failing the course, you're going to ignore extra credit opportunities.

I've had these sorts of discussions before. So, I asked the spokes-boy if I'd be seeing him soon at the continuation high school. (Might as well get to know the players now, so I'll know them when I see them over there.)

Oh no. They weren't that bad. Summer school would make it all up for them. Which they were looking forward to.

Yeah, they were looking forward to summer school. Told me it would be lit.

via GIPHY

Did you ever attend summer school? Is junior year too early for senioritis? We're almost done--are you ready for A to Z to be over? 

Today's A to Z Challenge post brought to you by the letter...

New Rules

This week it's my turn at Unicorn Bell. I'm discussing weekly bloghops you may be unfamiliar with. I'd love it if you'd stop by and say hi.

Integrated Math 1. Basically, this class used to be called Algebra 1, but the district has changed some things... Anyway, they had a worksheet, and most of them were doing it.

In the lesson plan, the teacher had designated the assignment as classwork/homework. Which meant that when they asked if it was homework, I hedged. "Get as much done in class as you can." Because, from experience, I knew this was coming...

Halfway through the period, I found a girl with an empty desk. Nothing on it. Not even the assignment. Where was her assignment? In her backpack. Why?

"Because I'm going to do it for homework."

And I lost it.

I didn't go all screaming banshee or anything. This wasn't the first time I'd encountered this. It probably wasn't even the 100th time. But I'm done with this game.

There's always one. Usually more. He or she puts the assignment away because "it's homework", and we get into a debate. It's technically classwork. What is not finished in class may become homework. But that's not the way they see it.

They see it as getting a free period to do nothing. And to get that "free period", they'll give me any sort of crazy excuse. They like homework. They'll be bored at home. Their parents "need" to see them doing work at home. Seriously, they trot these out every time.

And when they have nothing to do in class, they get into all sorts of mischief... (The mischief keeps this blog in stories.)

I'm done with the excuses. The debate. So, my response to the girl was an announcement to the class. I was collecting the work at the end of the period.

She immediately got her worksheet out and got to work.

And I realized I had a winner. The rest of the day, I explained the situation. It was classwork. What they didn't finish in class was homework. But, if any one of them (and it only had to be one) put the assignment away (incomplete--some actually do finish) and told me they'd "do it for homework", I'd collect everyone's assignment at the end of the period.

You know what? Not a one of them gave me the "I'll do it for homework" excuse. Score!

Of course, some of them didn't put any writing on those assignments...

Talking to Myself, I Guess

It's #ThrowbackThursday, and from the way-back files I find this entry from April 11, 2011. It amazes me how often things like this happen.

It was a math class. 6th period (naturally). 8th graders.

The assignment was a worksheet. They were to plot points. When the points were connected, a robot appeared on the graph paper. The worksheet was due at the end of the period.

The teacher had written the assignment on the board: "Agenda: worksheet. Due at the end."

I told the class the assignment was due at the end of the period. I passed out the worksheet. I gave directions. Then I repeated that I would be collecting the worksheet at the end of the period.

Most of the class got to work. This surprised me as previous classes had done more playing around than working. I walked around the room, and most of them seemed to be doing what they were supposed to be doing. (A working 6th period? Amazing!)

Then I came up on two girls. They were talking. One girl had nothing written on her worksheet except for her name. I told her she should get to work. She explained that her father helped her with her homework, so she was waiting to take the worksheet home to have him help her with it.

I again explained that the worksheet was due at the end of the period.

She was surprised.

What's the expression? Facepalm. Headdesk. Yeah, all of those.

I really don't know what else to do. Some of them just don't listen.

Unheard

I've become Charlie Brown's teacher. You know--the one no one can understand. But then again, I just might have always been. It only just now came to my attention...

"Wait. We weren't supposed to write on this?"

After I said it three times and wrote it on the board. But that's normal.

3rd period. Freshman geography. I explained the assignment and went over the first question with them. I explained that the assignment was due at the end of the period. Then I let them loose to work on their own.

40 minutes later I told them to exchange papers...

They were shocked. Several of them were nowhere near finished, even though the assignment should have only taken them 20 minutes. (And I did walk around offering my help if they needed it.)

But they spent the period socializing. Not even my pointed looks got through to them.

Although, to be fair, about half the class did finish. After they left, I thumbed through their papers. Half the class scored 37-40 (out of 40 possible). The other half?

I found several papers half done. Scores of 10 or 20. Clearly, they weren't making good use of their time.

Sigh. I guess I am Charlie Brown's teacher.

Fighting the Assignment

"This is hard."

Me: "I know."

I heard the same complaint three times today--once for each period of freshman English. My response was the same for all.

They read "Rules of the Game" by Amy Tan sometime last week. Today they were to pull quotes that demonstrated indirect characterization and explain what the quotes said about the character.

It was a challenging assignment. It probably would have been less challenging if they stopped complaining and started doing it.

I read directly from the lesson plan. They had the period. If they weren't finished by the end of the period, they wouldn't get full credit. I even read a bit about the assignment being "individual" and not "group work". I would have thought that would be enough to get them working. It wasn't.

As I collected the assignment one period, I picked up one paper from a boy who had just copied the questions. When I asked him why he had done nothing, he told me that he didn't understand the assignment. Really? He didn't bother to ask me to explain?

I explained numerous times all three periods what they were to do. The teacher said that they had done a similar assignment the previous week. I pointed this out to one girl. She asked me why they had to do another indirect characterization assignment then.

Finally, the last group of the day seemed to get it. They were still unsure, but they didn't fight me. They attempted to do the work. Unsurprisingly, most of them were able to get the thing done.

They have a test on the story tomorrow. (I'm due to go back.) I wonder how well that will go.

Talking to Myself, I Guess

It was a math class. 6th period (naturally). 8th graders.

The assignment was a worksheet. They were to plot points. When the points were connected, a robot appeared on the graph paper. The worksheet was due at the end of the period.

The teacher had written the assignment on the board: "Agenda: worksheet. Due at the end."

I told the class the assignment was due at the end of the period. I passed out the worksheet. I gave directions. Then I repeated that I would be collecting the worksheet at the end of the period.

Most of the class got to work. This surprised me as previous classes had done more playing around than working. I walked around the room, and most of them seemed to be doing what they were supposed to be doing. (A working 6th period? Amazing!)

Then I came up on two girls. They were talking. One girl had nothing written on her worksheet except for her name. I told her she should get to work. She explained that her father helped her with her homework, so she was waiting to take the worksheet home to have him help her with it.

I again explained that the worksheet was due at the end of the period.

She was surprised.

What's the expression? Facepalm. Headdesk. Yeah, all of those.

I really don't know what else to do. Some of them just don't listen.