measuring up
one of the biggest challenges that i'm already facing is exactly how i will measure success in my job. this weekend i graded the first quiz and was really frustrated. we hadn't covered anything too complicated, just nouns and latin roots. even though i reviewed the questions on the quiz with the kids in class RIGHT BEFORE THE QUIZ, a little less than half of them failed. this now means that i'll be holding review sessions this week to try and catch these kids up. i'm not really sure how to make things simpler, but i'll have to find a way.
my discipline problems are getting better. i've had to hold a few kids after class for visits. every time i talk to them i make a point to tell them something positive before i criticize. i want each of them to know that i'm glad they're in my class, even if there are some things we need to work on. so far the responses have been positive. they've cut down on the talking/outbursts and have been actively participating in class. i think that one of my boys had never had a teacher take the time to actually discuss issues and say something nice to him. he's like a completely different child. i plan on giving his parents a pleasant call this week.
in my TAKS class (juniors and senior who haven't passed the TAKS test), we spent all period friday discussing the future. it seems like a such a daunting task to get some of the kids to actually care about where they end up. i've tried to explain to them the lives they'll lead if they don't graduate from high school. a part of me wants to use financial motivation, but i hate the idea of teaching kids to view things from such a narrow perspective. i want them to learn the intrinsic value of knowledge, but it's just so foreign to many of them. they see life in terms of survival, and they'll work only for what they truly need.
a few of my kids have already opened up to me a lot in their journals and some of our conversations in class. entirely too many of them are struggling with adult issues like drugs/alcohol addiction, parenthood, imprisonment, etc. one of my boys i've been most concerned about was absent all last week and is in in-school suspension now. with kids like that, i just want to help them understand that there are people they can count on in this world and that things can change for the better.
i guess in the end i'll have to find my happiness in the little triumphs and just pray that they balance out my failures.
my discipline problems are getting better. i've had to hold a few kids after class for visits. every time i talk to them i make a point to tell them something positive before i criticize. i want each of them to know that i'm glad they're in my class, even if there are some things we need to work on. so far the responses have been positive. they've cut down on the talking/outbursts and have been actively participating in class. i think that one of my boys had never had a teacher take the time to actually discuss issues and say something nice to him. he's like a completely different child. i plan on giving his parents a pleasant call this week.
in my TAKS class (juniors and senior who haven't passed the TAKS test), we spent all period friday discussing the future. it seems like a such a daunting task to get some of the kids to actually care about where they end up. i've tried to explain to them the lives they'll lead if they don't graduate from high school. a part of me wants to use financial motivation, but i hate the idea of teaching kids to view things from such a narrow perspective. i want them to learn the intrinsic value of knowledge, but it's just so foreign to many of them. they see life in terms of survival, and they'll work only for what they truly need.
a few of my kids have already opened up to me a lot in their journals and some of our conversations in class. entirely too many of them are struggling with adult issues like drugs/alcohol addiction, parenthood, imprisonment, etc. one of my boys i've been most concerned about was absent all last week and is in in-school suspension now. with kids like that, i just want to help them understand that there are people they can count on in this world and that things can change for the better.
i guess in the end i'll have to find my happiness in the little triumphs and just pray that they balance out my failures.
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