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Finals Week

Next week is finals week. I'm desperately trying to reteach everything that I can think of for my sophomores. Sadly, even though most really need the points from this test, many put a real effort in. We've talked daily using the words that will be in the vocabulary section. I will still have at least three students who will define an allusion as "something you think you see, but ain't really there".  Less than half will answer the essay question with more than one paragraph. In the past I've tried offering points for filling out the graphic organizer to help construct the essay. I've written on the test that the answer must be more than three paragraphs. I've taken tests out of the turn in box, read them and given them back the student with instructions to give more detail or tell me where the poem says this; use a quote. Nine times out of ten, the paper is handed back in without any changes or addition. It's too much of a bother. Since I won't tell them what to write help them write it.

If I wasn't forced give a final, I really wouldn't. The grading is painful and the students don't care about them. Or at least, they don't care about their grade... as long as it's passing. 60% is just fine.

Maybe this year will be different. My classes are much more mixed in ability and my really low class actually works. Hope springs eternal, I guess.

In the meantime, the administration of the school wanted me to take a morning off (when I have the bulk of my classes) to fill out some spreadsheet with benchmark scores for all our students. Have a sub prepare the students for the exam - like the nice math guy or jesus joke guy, they'd be great! Or better yet Soulja Girl can give the exam and make it a group project while she reads her large print romance novel.

Ten minutes later, this project was switched to afterschool (which I definitely can not do). I was then told "it's super easy, you can do it during your prep," but has to done this coming week.  What I really want to know, is why this spreadsheet is suddenly so important that it has to be done this week to make a presentation date and what the presentation was supposed to about four months ago when it was scheduled.
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