Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Pointless School Days Before Holidays
Today was possibly the most pointless day I've ever spent at any placement. Thekids were wound up with their Thanksgiving Break right around the corner and no one wanted to be at school. My cooperating teacher gave them a test similar to the CATS tests. It was 8 multiple choice and 1 open response. The test results were going to be compared to other 8th grade classes in other Kenton County schools. I found it hard to believe that the test reults were going to accurate because the students didn't care about the test. They just wanted the day to end and go on break. Like I said, it was a pointless day. The intentions (objectives) of the day were good but common sense tells you that the kids aren't going to want to do anything, especially a test, on the last day before break.
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2 comments:
I know what you mean. The kids were wound up today and they could've cared less. It is common sense, but what are teachers supposed to do? Give them a free day? There's not a good solution other than to treat it like a normal day. But the test results will not be accurate!
My practicum teacher also lamented the way the days nearest the vacation, or unusual days in general get lost in the mix, much of the time.
I can see that, but today I saw another type of wasted day. There was a below average student who simply put his head down on his desk and check out--FOR THE WHOLE freaking bell. The teacher, who is awesome at classroom management, said he was torn. Should he work to keep the kid awake and thus disrupt the class as a whole? Or should he let the kid sleep, teach all the other students, and let the kid do poorly because he's missing that particular assignment? Having fought the kid (not actually fight--you know what I mean) in the past, he elected to let the kid sleep.
In that way there was in fact only one wasted day for one particular student. The thing is, I can't remember one my fellow students--way back in the glorious mullet-wearing 1980s--who openly disobeyed the teacher. The times they are a changing, huh?
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