This weekend I attended a couple of foster parenting classes. In one class, the presenter mentioned "the kids we're glad to see go" and it made me think about the students I'm glad to see go.
It's not the PC thing to admit that there are students you're happy to see go. It means you didn't reach them, you might have left them behind and you're just a bad teacher. However, I think that eventually every teacher has to get to the point where you realize that you can't reach every student. Sure, you can try... but you can't get to every single one.
By the time a student gets to high school, they can self-select out of that situation. I know there are a few students who beg to get out of my class every semester. "It's too hard" or "She's a bitch" or whatever excuse they give... they move themselves. For whatever reason, there are always those who don't. Some of them actually enjoy my class. All of their friends are in the class, occassionally they do "fun stuff" and constant prodding to learn is something they've dealt with for years. Others are just too lazy. Seriously, too lazy to go to counselor to ask to be moved... too lazy to do more than the absolute minimum... too lazy to do anything but sit. The worst are the ones that enjoy the conflict. They enjoy arguing about assignments, where to sit, when to talk, when to sleep, how to cheat, when to use the cell phone. I sometimes wonder what their homelife is like, and if it's full of conflict as well. Do they believe it's the only way to be?
In the last week of school, I'm too exhuasted to think about it. I'm just glad they'll be hitting the door for the last time in 3 days.
No news about my AP syllabus.
It's not the PC thing to admit that there are students you're happy to see go. It means you didn't reach them, you might have left them behind and you're just a bad teacher. However, I think that eventually every teacher has to get to the point where you realize that you can't reach every student. Sure, you can try... but you can't get to every single one.
By the time a student gets to high school, they can self-select out of that situation. I know there are a few students who beg to get out of my class every semester. "It's too hard" or "She's a bitch" or whatever excuse they give... they move themselves. For whatever reason, there are always those who don't. Some of them actually enjoy my class. All of their friends are in the class, occassionally they do "fun stuff" and constant prodding to learn is something they've dealt with for years. Others are just too lazy. Seriously, too lazy to go to counselor to ask to be moved... too lazy to do more than the absolute minimum... too lazy to do anything but sit. The worst are the ones that enjoy the conflict. They enjoy arguing about assignments, where to sit, when to talk, when to sleep, how to cheat, when to use the cell phone. I sometimes wonder what their homelife is like, and if it's full of conflict as well. Do they believe it's the only way to be?
In the last week of school, I'm too exhuasted to think about it. I'm just glad they'll be hitting the door for the last time in 3 days.
No news about my AP syllabus.
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