I wish this post were about the jewelry variety of jade. At this point, though, it's just about me griping.I'm worried for our future sometimes. For our kids. I have so many students who are just so apathetic. They don't care about anything--or at least anything in English. I feel like I want to make it interesting and challenging and fun, but often right now I just feel like I'm talking to myself. I know a lot of this information is things that the kids really need. Critical thinking skills. Public speaking. Writing. Listening. Information literacy.
When I put it in those terms it really doesn't sound too interesting. But I try to make the learning activities interesting. I try to balance the logical and creative elements. I try to bring in relevant real-life examples. Pop culture. Parody. Satire. And yet close to twenty of my kids failed last semester. I try not to dwell on it, but, then again, these are the same kids. There's got to be something I can do. When I look over the problem, though, a large part of the grade problem goes back to homework. I know I'm not giving too much, but still, for some of these kids, it never comes in. I'm available before school, after school, even during school (we have a travelling study hall) and still they don't come to me--but they also don't do their work either. I've called home. I've held kids after class. I've held kids after school. And still they fail. How am I going to teach them the skills if they're not willing to put in the work themselves.
I feel like echoing John Adams as seen in 1776 sometimes. Is anybody there? Does anybody care? Does anybody see what I see?
Okay, so I'm being melodramatic and indulging in a pity party. I'm not doing this just to vent, though. I'm not sure if this is a mental exercise or a cry for help, but either way, I'd appreciate ideas. If no ideas are available, jewelry is also always appreciated.
3 comments:
In the last eighteen months, I've had constant headaches getting Lego to eat solid food--well, anything but breastmilk (you probably know this if you read my blog). I checked out a book on getting your kid to eat, and one of the most helpful things it said was that you need to realize what your jobs are and what your child's jobs are. Parents (caregivers) control what foods are offered, where, and when. Children control what and how much, if any, they eat, from the options the parents provide. You cannot make your child eat more or less or different foods, but you can offer a variety of healthy foods at regular intervals in predictable settings, providing the best possible environment for eating. Basically, the point was that if you're doing your job, you can let go. Your child will or won't eat, but you can't control that. You can rest easy knowing you've done everything in your power to care for him or her.
I also learned some tips from the book on how to provide that "best environment," and with care and patience and hard work, Lego is eating better. Finally. But even if he weren't, it's taken a lot of pressure off me to let go.
I do worry too about today's teenagers. They are too apathetic, and not just about certain subjects. I wonder if, and when, they will wake up and realize that their futures are in their hands but that getting what they want will require hard work.
From what you've written, though, you're doing your job very well as a teacher. Do everything you can to offer a variety of teaching methods and opportunities to learn the material, but it's their job at that point to decide what and how much, if anything, to learn and to do.
Anyway, I do feel for you. I'd be very frustrated too if I were in your shoes.
My first thought was to make it relevant to what the kids are doing. And it sounds like you're already doing that, by bringing in modern examples where you can. Is there any way you can make it so that their work is immediately personally rewarding?
I'm trying to think of something directly relevant to the skills that will be rewarding, and most of my ideas are sucking. Like having them either write papers to persuade you to use a particular work that they like (listing factual reasons why it would fit your class's needs) or having them give speeches and whoever persuades more of the class members gets their activity done (watching a movie? doing a service? going on a field trip?--also, I'm assuming you'd present them with a range of options from which they could choose their subject). Or maybe simpler but less relevant--reward them with food or free time. Extra credit to people who get tutored in grammar (with more extra credit for people who learn to be tutors). What is it that they want that you can offer?
To me, it feels like logic and debate are good places to start, because people who can debate well and recognize logic are more likely to get what they want. So debating skills = power. (Perhaps you can encourage them to try it on their friends or parents.) And then those skills would translate into better papers. And perhaps then they'd better appreciate it when you told them they're reading literature to make them better at thinking (and arguing). And also that they're reading it just for social credit--because if they can quote or reference smart-sounding stuff, people will think they're smart and listen to them. (Of course, this assumes a certain type of audience.)
Really, though, Brinestone is right--you can't force learning on people who don't want it, and you shouldn't feel bad about that.
Good luck. I'd love to hear what you come up with.
Thanks guys for the pep-talk. You bring up a lot of good points and I've got some experimentation to do to see what will work with which kids.
Thanks again.
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