Obviously, it has been forever since I have written, and one reason is because this year has been absolutely crazy. I'm not really sure why I'm so much busier this year. I even have one fewer class.
But the reason I decided to write tonight is because of a discrepancy I just witnessed.
As background, I am constantly called away from my class to attend IEP (Individual Education Plan) meetings. Most of the time, they are a waste of time -- a litany of teachers saying the same things over and over again about a student to decide whether or not s/he needs services. Clearly, I am not a fan (at least not when I should be teaching instead), nor are most other teachers. But we are legally required to go if summoned.
I had one of said meetings today, only it was slightly different because it was what's called a "Manifestation Meeting." What happened was one of my more difficult students, who has an IEP for an emotional disorder, had been suspended for smoking pot on school property and then entered into an alternative program. I was wondering why she wasn't expelled instead, but evidently (which I found out just today), due to her "disability," she was given a lesser punishment, and this meeting was to determine whether or not she knew the difference between right or wrong. Did we really need to have a meeting about that? She isn't five. Also, apparently this was her second strike. I know this girl; she knew exactly what she was doing. There should not have been any special treatment. But the school district was so paranoid about playing by the rules because of the (sometimes ridiculous) legal requirements of special education.
I believe school administrators need to stop kowtowing to special education. How about treating all kids special, instead?
Showing posts with label legalese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label legalese. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Friday, December 16, 2011
Standardization baaaaaad... Curiosity goooooooood
Every month, the English department (like every other discipline) has a dept. meeting. Invariably, the meeting entails reiteration of what the county and/or principal wants us to implement, and then there is the requisite whining. This week, there was a raucous ruckus (see what I did there?) about the new grading policies that will most likely begin next September. Currently, we can basically weight the grades however we want, as long as homework is not a ridiculous amount (I think 15% is the max). However, the administrators on high in their infinite "wisdom" have declared that now, homework and classwork together can now not count for more than 20% of a student's grade. Which means that 80% comes from tests. What happened to all their bitching about not wanting us to "teach to the test"?
On the one hand, I can see where having a student's grade based primarily on their knowledge makes sense, and the practice with which to master this knowledge counts much less. However, students will quickly realize with this system that they can do little to no work in class and at home and they can still most likely earn a passing grade. But what they will fail to realize is that they can only master the information on tests if they spend enough time practicing. Therefore, students who just care about grades and not learning skill sets (which, let's face it, is how most of them think, as do their parents) will not be motivated to ever attend class unless there is a test. (Just like many college students... but that's another subject.)
Furthermore, as one colleague pointed out, this will mean we have to "test the shit out of these kids" in order to get enough data for sufficient grading, which will make them even less engaged in school and more apathetic toward learning in general. Another teacher pointed out that in the city in which he taught before he came here, these standards were implemented, and because of them, teachers had to have a specific number of homework assignments, tests, seminars, etc., and because it was almost impossible to fit all this in and not make themselves (or the students) crazy, teachers ended up randomly calling a classroom activity a test or project, and thus the categories lost all meaning.
Yikes.... I could go on, but I won't. Sooooo glad it's the weekend and there are only four more days of school before Winter Break. Before I sign off, I thought I would share this, with which I agree 100%. That's where we should be headed, not prescribing random percentages to classroom procedures.
On the one hand, I can see where having a student's grade based primarily on their knowledge makes sense, and the practice with which to master this knowledge counts much less. However, students will quickly realize with this system that they can do little to no work in class and at home and they can still most likely earn a passing grade. But what they will fail to realize is that they can only master the information on tests if they spend enough time practicing. Therefore, students who just care about grades and not learning skill sets (which, let's face it, is how most of them think, as do their parents) will not be motivated to ever attend class unless there is a test. (Just like many college students... but that's another subject.)
Furthermore, as one colleague pointed out, this will mean we have to "test the shit out of these kids" in order to get enough data for sufficient grading, which will make them even less engaged in school and more apathetic toward learning in general. Another teacher pointed out that in the city in which he taught before he came here, these standards were implemented, and because of them, teachers had to have a specific number of homework assignments, tests, seminars, etc., and because it was almost impossible to fit all this in and not make themselves (or the students) crazy, teachers ended up randomly calling a classroom activity a test or project, and thus the categories lost all meaning.
Yikes.... I could go on, but I won't. Sooooo glad it's the weekend and there are only four more days of school before Winter Break. Before I sign off, I thought I would share this, with which I agree 100%. That's where we should be headed, not prescribing random percentages to classroom procedures.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Counting Down
Is it terrible that I'm just counting down the hours to spring break? And have even less motivation than usual?
Speaking of motivation, this article is astute and very worthwhile. The question of how to help students motivate themselves cannot be easily solved, but Ferlazzo definitely gets the conversation going.
Off topic (big surprise), but I am not easily offended. However, the first time I saw students wearing bracelets that said "I <3 boobies," I was slightly offended. But, as with everything else, got used to it in time. Apparently, though, these bracelets were the catalyst for a lawsuit. I think I side with the judge on this one. It's not as if their bracelets said something really offensive, after all.
Speaking of motivation, this article is astute and very worthwhile. The question of how to help students motivate themselves cannot be easily solved, but Ferlazzo definitely gets the conversation going.
Off topic (big surprise), but I am not easily offended. However, the first time I saw students wearing bracelets that said "I <3 boobies," I was slightly offended. But, as with everything else, got used to it in time. Apparently, though, these bracelets were the catalyst for a lawsuit. I think I side with the judge on this one. It's not as if their bracelets said something really offensive, after all.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Sexual Healing
...except really just the opposite.
We had a little incident at 7th grade lunch today. The activities' director (a late-30s/early-40s blond woman) was one of the supervisors and as she walked past a group of boys one of them said to her, "Hey, baby," at which the activities' director became (rightly) ensconced and attempted to explain to him what sexual harassment is but had to take a moment to cool off. She asked the school police officer to escort this boy to the office and that she would be with him in just a moment. Evidently, these lewd comments have come from that table of boys before. After that boy left, she asked me to go over to the table with her as a witness and told them that making such comments, particular at a teacher, was a very massive offense. I didn't think the activities' director was overreacting (although she may have taken it a bit too personally), but I also don't think the boy thought he did anything wrong. In fact, the policeman was telling us after he escorted the boy that they were talking about it and it wasn't until the policeman asked the boy, "What if I said that to your mother?" that the boy understood what he had done. Sexual harassment is, therefore, a sticky wicket, a very thin line, and other mixed metaphors. If we want to teach children about it, that means we also have to teach them about sex, lewd behavior, and other uncomfortable topics.
We had a little incident at 7th grade lunch today. The activities' director (a late-30s/early-40s blond woman) was one of the supervisors and as she walked past a group of boys one of them said to her, "Hey, baby," at which the activities' director became (rightly) ensconced and attempted to explain to him what sexual harassment is but had to take a moment to cool off. She asked the school police officer to escort this boy to the office and that she would be with him in just a moment. Evidently, these lewd comments have come from that table of boys before. After that boy left, she asked me to go over to the table with her as a witness and told them that making such comments, particular at a teacher, was a very massive offense. I didn't think the activities' director was overreacting (although she may have taken it a bit too personally), but I also don't think the boy thought he did anything wrong. In fact, the policeman was telling us after he escorted the boy that they were talking about it and it wasn't until the policeman asked the boy, "What if I said that to your mother?" that the boy understood what he had done. Sexual harassment is, therefore, a sticky wicket, a very thin line, and other mixed metaphors. If we want to teach children about it, that means we also have to teach them about sex, lewd behavior, and other uncomfortable topics.
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