"F" - Failure or Fantastic? You Decide.
July 28, 2016 – My pre-school (you know that had to be a long time ago!) teacher’s genius son ended up at MIT and founded another part of the atom in the 1950’s. I once heard that when he was in first grade, he received an “F” on a report card. When he brought this information home, he asked his mother, “What does ‘F’ mean?” She remarked, “It means you are FANTASTIC!” She couldn’t bring herself to tell him what it really meant because, after all, he was just 6.
I have a long resume of teaching gigs: church pre-school, church adult Sunday School, public elementary school, home school, public middle school, public high school, summer school, and public night school.
My night school job was eye-opening. Thank goodness for a somewhat- last- chance for some students. Those who make the most of it, I congratulate you! But for those who are there (and WHY are they there if they aren’t trying to better themselves? and are just biding their time – for what? – to be able to get a driver’s license?) please don’t disrupt my trying to teach you something.
I learned later that I had a female student who was in my night school class because she was thrown out of her county school system for throwing a desk at someone. I think that someone was a teacher. Thanks for the heads up!
I tried to make the American Literature lessons relevant. I really did. One student obediently came to class every night, sat quietly as a mouse, and failed every test. When he didn’t pass the class he spoke to me for the first time (although I did try to prompt him to contribute to the discussion in class to little success). He asked me why he made an “F”. I answered that 1) he made an “F” on every test and 2) there was not much contribution in the class discussions for me to be able to determine he was absorbing the material for him to pass. I couldn’t tell what he knew. He responded, “But I came to class every night!” I countered by saying, “Would I use a doctor that showed up to my surgery with a SCAPLE making “F’s” on all his grades just because he attended every medical lecture? Would YOU want that?”
He was a really nice guy and I hated to drop that news on him, but I certainly couldn’t GIVE him something without some signs of comprehension. I wanted to. But my conscience wouldn’t let me. It wouldn’t be fair to those who did work for it. I felt terrible for him.
Gosh, it’s hard on the students these days. I am not being sarcastic either. It really is. All the demands they and others put on themselves. They need to remember this: more “C” average college students become CEO’s of corporations. They have learned how to balance fun and grades.
My good friend, Swoozie, works for a public school test prep company whose website vision states:
"PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
With lots of opportunities to review and practice concepts and skills, Common Core Performance Coach is the program that will pave the path to success on the new high-stakes assessments.
The program allows teachers to implement lessons in a variety of ways and can reinforce Common Core Coach instruction or supplement any other program. Many examples are provided in order to solidify understanding. Practice tests mirror question types that will be seen in the new assessments and simulates in paper format what students will see online.
Common Core Performance Coach is perfect for ongoing instruction throughout the year or more intensive instruction and test prep before the tests."
She recently received a phone call while at work. The name that popped up on her phone screen read, JESUS (she was nervous for a moment that JESUS was calling - LOL). Well, after rationalizing that and calming down, she answered and heard, “Can I speak to the manager?” She said he sounded very young and she replied, “I’m the manager. Can I help?” He commented, “I’m in class right now and I need the answers.”
She replied, “I am sorry but we don’t provide answers to students.” He said, “Thank you” and hung up. Using his cell phone in class, he must have found her company’s website and called for THE ANSWERS!
Some things change and then again some things don’t: He was so polite…and I bet he showed up every day to class.
I have a long resume of teaching gigs: church pre-school, church adult Sunday School, public elementary school, home school, public middle school, public high school, summer school, and public night school.
My night school job was eye-opening. Thank goodness for a somewhat- last- chance for some students. Those who make the most of it, I congratulate you! But for those who are there (and WHY are they there if they aren’t trying to better themselves? and are just biding their time – for what? – to be able to get a driver’s license?) please don’t disrupt my trying to teach you something.
I learned later that I had a female student who was in my night school class because she was thrown out of her county school system for throwing a desk at someone. I think that someone was a teacher. Thanks for the heads up!
I tried to make the American Literature lessons relevant. I really did. One student obediently came to class every night, sat quietly as a mouse, and failed every test. When he didn’t pass the class he spoke to me for the first time (although I did try to prompt him to contribute to the discussion in class to little success). He asked me why he made an “F”. I answered that 1) he made an “F” on every test and 2) there was not much contribution in the class discussions for me to be able to determine he was absorbing the material for him to pass. I couldn’t tell what he knew. He responded, “But I came to class every night!” I countered by saying, “Would I use a doctor that showed up to my surgery with a SCAPLE making “F’s” on all his grades just because he attended every medical lecture? Would YOU want that?”
He was a really nice guy and I hated to drop that news on him, but I certainly couldn’t GIVE him something without some signs of comprehension. I wanted to. But my conscience wouldn’t let me. It wouldn’t be fair to those who did work for it. I felt terrible for him.
Gosh, it’s hard on the students these days. I am not being sarcastic either. It really is. All the demands they and others put on themselves. They need to remember this: more “C” average college students become CEO’s of corporations. They have learned how to balance fun and grades.
My good friend, Swoozie, works for a public school test prep company whose website vision states:
"PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
With lots of opportunities to review and practice concepts and skills, Common Core Performance Coach is the program that will pave the path to success on the new high-stakes assessments.
The program allows teachers to implement lessons in a variety of ways and can reinforce Common Core Coach instruction or supplement any other program. Many examples are provided in order to solidify understanding. Practice tests mirror question types that will be seen in the new assessments and simulates in paper format what students will see online.
Common Core Performance Coach is perfect for ongoing instruction throughout the year or more intensive instruction and test prep before the tests."
She recently received a phone call while at work. The name that popped up on her phone screen read, JESUS (she was nervous for a moment that JESUS was calling - LOL). Well, after rationalizing that and calming down, she answered and heard, “Can I speak to the manager?” She said he sounded very young and she replied, “I’m the manager. Can I help?” He commented, “I’m in class right now and I need the answers.”
She replied, “I am sorry but we don’t provide answers to students.” He said, “Thank you” and hung up. Using his cell phone in class, he must have found her company’s website and called for THE ANSWERS!
Some things change and then again some things don’t: He was so polite…and I bet he showed up every day to class.
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