We got our junior scores back. Actually we got prelim scores the afternoon that we got the seniors' scores. The sheet that says YES or NO.
Of my juniors (who obviously had a 0% passing rate last year since they are in my class) 54% passed. I still have a few who the writing got them...but not many. I had one girl write a 3!!! but she didn't pass. The grammar kicked their butts. Some kids only got like 5 of 20 right. So I have to learn how to teach grammar this summer. I get to say goodbye to some of my kids because I won't have them again next year. I'll miss them, but I'm so glad they won't have to go through the stress their Senior year. I will get to teach Lit Genres still (partly because I sorta pitched a fit and told everyone how hard I worked and how sad I would be if I didn't get to see it through another year). Also I'll be teaching Reading I & II in the Language Center. I'm happy about that. I'm really happy that I don't have to teach Speech. :) I was dreading that.
Speaking of summer, Dan and I are taking a vacation to D.F. (Mexico, Distrito Federal). He is trying to convince me that I should go down a few weeks early and take Spanish classes. I am playing around with the idea. While it would be great to come back and not tell them I learned Spanish--personal dream of mine--I am not sure. Advice, help?
Today I hope to plant my veggie garden. It is a little late so we will have to start from bigger plants, but we should still be fine. I'll post pictures when we are done!
Sunday, May 21
Thursday, May 18
Tuesday, May 9
the final call comes
We got our senior TAKS scores. Of my 22 kids...2 passed. That means that 20 won't be graduating due to their grade on some silly test. At least 2 or 3 of the 20, the English section was the only thing holding them back.
I'm not good with crying. Did everyone know that? I'm not much of a crier myself, though I nearly teared up today telling one boys' father..he was there 'cause said child got his cell phone taken up. I had this one girl sit and weep in 7th period wanting me to tell her why she didn't pass. I'm not very good with sympathy. I think I just made her feel worse, because I told her why she didn't pass. Another boy 4th told me he was quitting...Another told me their dad is pulling them out of school to go to work because he can't pass the test.
The kids on the whole took it extremely well. But you know they are disappointed. How fair is it to work 4 years, get all your credits, pass your classes, do all the work and fail because you missed 2 questions too many on a test? Not fair at all.
We should get the junior scores this week, too. I can see how the rest of my babies did then.
I'm not good with crying. Did everyone know that? I'm not much of a crier myself, though I nearly teared up today telling one boys' father..he was there 'cause said child got his cell phone taken up. I had this one girl sit and weep in 7th period wanting me to tell her why she didn't pass. I'm not very good with sympathy. I think I just made her feel worse, because I told her why she didn't pass. Another boy 4th told me he was quitting...Another told me their dad is pulling them out of school to go to work because he can't pass the test.
The kids on the whole took it extremely well. But you know they are disappointed. How fair is it to work 4 years, get all your credits, pass your classes, do all the work and fail because you missed 2 questions too many on a test? Not fair at all.
We should get the junior scores this week, too. I can see how the rest of my babies did then.
Sunday, May 7
what happens in...
Well, I really hate that thought. That you would do something in another place that you are ashamed of where you usually are domiciled. But apparently that is the rule when you go on conference trips. I was out Thursday and Friday at an ELL (English Language Learners) conference in San Antonio. I did learn the 3 rules of TDY (temporary duty) from our ROTC Colonel.
1) Never whistle while you pack (your wife will wonder where you are going)
2) Never eat when you can drink (that is a whole other thing that I was worried about because I heard stories, but actually they don't drink as much as they say that do.)
3) .......Oops, i forgot the third rule. It is probably something important, too.
I was also renamed Louann, later shorted to Lulu. Praying that doesn't stick....
The conference itself was ok. It was really repetitive of stuff we were already familiar with. I did learn a few good points, like the way that Spanish speakers are taught to write an essay:
Idea
Idea
Idea
Idea
Therefore.....
English speakers write like this:
Main Idea
Support
Support
Support
Conclusion
That is why we get kids who write about their mommas and then stick a paragraph about soccer in the middle of it. (Our classic example of smart kids who have trouble getting the essay.) I'm going to ask some of my students about this and see if it holds up. I'll have to find someone who was educated in Mexico so they will be cognizant of the structure of their writing.
All in all, it wasn't a complete waste of time, but if he had given us a bunch of articles to read and left me alone, I might have learned just as much...
1) Never whistle while you pack (your wife will wonder where you are going)
2) Never eat when you can drink (that is a whole other thing that I was worried about because I heard stories, but actually they don't drink as much as they say that do.)
3) .......Oops, i forgot the third rule. It is probably something important, too.
I was also renamed Louann, later shorted to Lulu. Praying that doesn't stick....
The conference itself was ok. It was really repetitive of stuff we were already familiar with. I did learn a few good points, like the way that Spanish speakers are taught to write an essay:
Idea
Idea
Idea
Idea
Therefore.....
English speakers write like this:
Main Idea
Support
Support
Support
Conclusion
That is why we get kids who write about their mommas and then stick a paragraph about soccer in the middle of it. (Our classic example of smart kids who have trouble getting the essay.) I'm going to ask some of my students about this and see if it holds up. I'll have to find someone who was educated in Mexico so they will be cognizant of the structure of their writing.
All in all, it wasn't a complete waste of time, but if he had given us a bunch of articles to read and left me alone, I might have learned just as much...
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