Since I last truly updated about my life in the teaching world, quite a few things have changed.
- I've failed about 7-10 kids over the last semester and it tore me up inside. Some of them truly deserved the grade because they gave no hint of effort or even attempted to care about the class. Some got their acts together but did so too late in the game, so to speak, so it just wasn't enough.
- I had a kid who was failing my class by .3%, so I made some modifications to round up to the next grade so he'd pass because I'd had a conference (or three) with his dad and the man gave off the impression that if the kid failed my class, his consequences would be physical. I felt good about saving him that fate just to realize he forgot to turn in a major assignment for my class and it brought him back down 3%. That was a rough one.
- I had another kid who was taking my class for the second time and had the general idea that, as long as he passed, he didn't care how well he performed. He did very well on vocabulary and different assignments. Didn't participate much but he didn't cause many problems in class. Then, toward the end of the term, he kind of stopped trying, sated with the idea that he'd get a passing grade, and, even on the final, opted out of doing the essay portion by writing on his paper "I'll just take the D." Once everything was calculated and averaged, he failed by 1%. I did not feel inclined to round him up because he truly earned that grade. His mother e-mailed me about it and we had some correspondence but it was evident that he deserved the grade he received.
- I've had the day/week/class from hell.
- One week in October, my coworker (who's also a good friend) had to return to Chicago because her grandmother passed away. During the time she was gone, because she and I essentially had the same curriculum, I volunteered to help her sub with her classes. So everyday, for a week, when I got to school, I would go to her room and double check that all of her copies were present and that her materials were laid out as needed. Then, right before the first bell rang for school to start, I would go Back to her room and explain everything to the sub. But, because her sub was an older woman who was set in the ways that she used to teach, she still didn't understand. So, over lunch, I would re-explain everything. This happened every day. So I was trying to manage her classes while still having classes of my own and trying to manage those. I felt like it was just the worst week ever. But since, I can count on at least three occasions where I've had the worst "day" ever. Yet, every time I say that, the next one is much much worse. Maybe I'll stop "claiming" that, yeah?
- With regard to the worst "class," every 4th block, I have a class of students who took the particular class because A) it was a requirement for graduation and/or B) It was the only class that would fir their schedule. Having students who are literally only in your class because they have to be is a special kind of rewarding (sarcasm). The kids are typically very chatty and rambunctious. The class itself is never too bad to teach but apparently they always give the new teacher(s), the classes no one else in the department wanted. So that's always fun. I've made it through and am currently still doing so but to say it hasn't been trying would be false.
Those are the main things that have transpired that are worth mentioning. I've also had a lot of good days though. Days that are rewarding and remind me of why I got into this profession. I've had more of those days this term, thus far, which is very promising.
I'm currently teaching one class of Freshman English, a College Composition class, and Contemporary Communications, which is a speech class. It's pretty interesting, though teaching a College Composition class when I'm just out of college myself is a pretty wild experience.
Overall I'm feeling pretty good. I need to go get some grading done though so I'll go and get to that.
Have a great day!
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