So today I had finished up Latin 1 and begun my precious (this-semester-only) planning block when the French teacher came in to ask a question. I assumed it would be technology-related, but instead it was this: "What are your feelings on guaranteeing the president a captive audience?"
On Tuesday, President Obama will address the nation, specifically schoolchildren, in the early afternoon (1:00 EST). We've been asked to turn our TVs on so the students can listen to a speech by the president directly to them, essentially telling them to work hard and stay in school. I was struck immediately by the implicit hostility in my colleague's question and tone. I said that for me it didn't much matter, because I would have my planning block at that time, but that I would be watching to see what he said. The French teacher (a registered NRA member and a teacher who refuses to join the National Educators Association because they are "too liberal") is clearly nettled by being forced to allow the students the chance to listen to a president. He said to me, "It has the air of... well, can you say Hitler jugend?"
Yes, I can. But I think there is a big difference between stoking up young white men to feel that they are the superior race and talking to all children nationwide about the importance of education. When it comes down to it, my colleague is not entirely wrong - Obama definitely has a personality-cult vibe; he is a talented public speaker and there are, I'm sure, many people across the USA who can't help but attack anyone who criticizes him. But surely President Bush had the same kind of devoted supporter (if not the speaking ease), just on a different side of the ideological fence.
I hate party politics. If this were President Bush, I would still listen to hear what any president would say to the youth of America. My colleague would probably be talking up what a positive opportunity this is for kids to learn about politics and the importance of a good education. But it's Obama, so he's up in arms; and because I am teaching in a county that eats, drinks, breathes and bleeds Republican, his view is not uncommon. There are reports of students whose parents are going to keep them home from school that day.
Some negative reactions I can understand, but some leave me not knowing what to say. I sat openmouthed and struggling to find a response that would both convey that I don't share his degree of aversion to any particular party and also not open myself up to another earful of criticism. You can't change a mind so intentionally shut and deadbolted. I for one am looking forward to hearing this address. To refuse to send a son or daughter to school for an entire day JUST to avoid hearing words from a politician's mouth? Inexplicable. Especially when those words are guaranteed to be innocuous (he won't exactly be saying "vote for health care reform"). But the fact of the matter is that I am teaching in an area where this kind of overreaction is applauded by many. It scares me.
NPR tells me that the same thing is going on around the country... but should I really find that reassuring?
Friday, September 04, 2009
Saturday, July 04, 2009
The best part of a bad economy
...is the sales. I'm sorry that S&K is going under, but that didn't stop me from taking advantage of their going-out-of-business sale to add a new suit, a bunch of shirts, a couple of ties, and a leather jacket (which I never really thought about before, but was a steal and feels and looks really good) to my wardrobe. Almost can't wait for fall now!
Also, I'm hoping Sarah Palin's resignation means that someone had something horrendous over her to force her to get out of politics for good, but I can't help being afraid that she may be still hoping for the presidency, as her faithful assure us.
Also, I'm hoping Sarah Palin's resignation means that someone had something horrendous over her to force her to get out of politics for good, but I can't help being afraid that she may be still hoping for the presidency, as her faithful assure us.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Ignorance is bliss and a low grade
15 Latin 3 tests.
Answers to the derivative question "Who was the English potentate during the American Revolution?":
King George: 3
King Henry: 1
The King of England: 2
That's fine, at least they knew it was a king. Here's where it gets distressing:
The President: 2
Colonists: 1
England: 1 (England was the English potentate? Seriously?)
"The North": 1 (Revolutionary War, Civil War, who really knows the difference?)
Powerful: 1
and my favorite, George Washington: 3
I tell myself that surely the "George Washington" responders just didn't read the question well enough, and do, in fact, know that he was on our side... but there are nagging doubts. What do they learn in history? I knew who King George was in elementary school (hell, he was even in Gumby cartoons).
Also had a 2.5-hour faculty meeting this morning in which we "brainstormed" ideas on how we need to "adjust" our academics, etc., to the "current, changing economy" (i.e., f*ck you unless you teach agriculture, shop, or business). Sometimes I feel like I need to get a job at a private school, or at least a less rural school. Someone actually suggested turning the library into a vocational research area because it "isn't very effective". Sigh.
Answers to the derivative question "Who was the English potentate during the American Revolution?":
King George: 3
King Henry: 1
The King of England: 2
That's fine, at least they knew it was a king. Here's where it gets distressing:
The President: 2
Colonists: 1
England: 1 (England was the English potentate? Seriously?)
"The North": 1 (Revolutionary War, Civil War, who really knows the difference?)
Powerful: 1
and my favorite, George Washington: 3
I tell myself that surely the "George Washington" responders just didn't read the question well enough, and do, in fact, know that he was on our side... but there are nagging doubts. What do they learn in history? I knew who King George was in elementary school (hell, he was even in Gumby cartoons).
Also had a 2.5-hour faculty meeting this morning in which we "brainstormed" ideas on how we need to "adjust" our academics, etc., to the "current, changing economy" (i.e., f*ck you unless you teach agriculture, shop, or business). Sometimes I feel like I need to get a job at a private school, or at least a less rural school. Someone actually suggested turning the library into a vocational research area because it "isn't very effective". Sigh.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Benefits of Public School Teaching
After working on various school-related things until about 9 tonight, I found out that tomorrow's school day has been canceled due to snow, my third snow day as a full-time teacher. It is a just and glorious world at times.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
What do they teach you at that school?
Nine out of eighteen HS Latin I students even attempted their homework last night, after yet another red-letter performance on the easiest quiz I could possibly have given them yesterday. Of those nine, four got full credit for doing a decent job.
I hate this class.
The sheer stupidity of the majority of them is astounding. For example, Kenny comes in to make up a test today, which he missed last week. He shows up and says, "Mr. Carruth... what chapter is it on?" I don't know which is more disconcerting: that he isn't even pretending he looked at the study guide I handed out, or that he can't simply take the chapter we're on now and subtract one.
Example number 2: Lucas spectacularly failed a quiz last week. I offered to let him retake it if he came to go over his quiz and talk with me about the concept (which he obviously didn't get) one-on-one. We agree for him to come at 7:45 Monday. He showed up at 8, at which time I need to get set for Latin II. I tell him we don't have time now, and suggest that he come back today at 7:45. I was very emphatic on this point. He came in at 8 again. As he looked at me expectantly, as though I would just give him an A for showing up, I noticed he didn't have anything with him; no pencil, no paper, no failed quiz... not a thing. I asked him where his paper was and he looked at me blankly. I said we couldn't go over his quiz if he didn't bring it. He left the room to look for it, and came back assuring me it was at home. I suggested he come back tomorrow at 7:45 with his paper. We'll see, but I won't be holding my breath.
This same child also missed the test last week. On the study guide, it clearly states that the students need to know a handful of Latin inscription abbreviations for the test. Lucas missed one of the days on which we worked on these, which was the day we pulled it all together and made a master list. He had enough material to figure it out, but I thought I would be nice and give him a condensed list when he got back. He took it, used it for the activity we were doing at the moment, and promptly left it on the floor of the classroom. I have no doubt he will leave the inscription section of the test blank, or make up fake words.
Most of the class, in fact, left that section blank. And this is what brings me, finally, to the point of this post, and the logic behind the title. I hand out a study guide every chapter at least two days before the test. On this study guide is a handy list of everything the students need to know for the test. There's that word again: know. Most of my HS Latin I students seem to think that when I say they need to know this, they should glance at it once or twice, vaguely remember having seen these terms and ideas before, and that means they're ready for the test.
Despite the fact that they have now taken eight of my tests, which all follow the same format, they seem to think that they will not have to actually recall facts. I do really wonder if this is because they have grown so used to all multiple-choice, all the time. We had the same problem today on a tense quiz; we spent yesterday practicing, and I told them the exact format of the quiz, yet today half of them or more acted as if they had never seen this kind of exercise before, much less been shown how to do it and practiced. The notion of knowing something - being able to manipulate data and express ideas in a free-form setting - is a joke in this class. Half of them are in eleventh or twelfth grade. They are driving cars. It is truly a frightening proposition that a group of people so resistant to learning of any kind are operating such complex machines.
In the end, it all reminds me of an all-too-true statement I heard on the show Weeds which reflected what I fear has become reality in public education. A child named Shane Botwin had no idea what his mother was referencing when she referred to an event from US history. His uncle asked him, "What do they teach you at that school?"
Answer: "How to pass the standardized test."
I hate this class.
The sheer stupidity of the majority of them is astounding. For example, Kenny comes in to make up a test today, which he missed last week. He shows up and says, "Mr. Carruth... what chapter is it on?" I don't know which is more disconcerting: that he isn't even pretending he looked at the study guide I handed out, or that he can't simply take the chapter we're on now and subtract one.
Example number 2: Lucas spectacularly failed a quiz last week. I offered to let him retake it if he came to go over his quiz and talk with me about the concept (which he obviously didn't get) one-on-one. We agree for him to come at 7:45 Monday. He showed up at 8, at which time I need to get set for Latin II. I tell him we don't have time now, and suggest that he come back today at 7:45. I was very emphatic on this point. He came in at 8 again. As he looked at me expectantly, as though I would just give him an A for showing up, I noticed he didn't have anything with him; no pencil, no paper, no failed quiz... not a thing. I asked him where his paper was and he looked at me blankly. I said we couldn't go over his quiz if he didn't bring it. He left the room to look for it, and came back assuring me it was at home. I suggested he come back tomorrow at 7:45 with his paper. We'll see, but I won't be holding my breath.
This same child also missed the test last week. On the study guide, it clearly states that the students need to know a handful of Latin inscription abbreviations for the test. Lucas missed one of the days on which we worked on these, which was the day we pulled it all together and made a master list. He had enough material to figure it out, but I thought I would be nice and give him a condensed list when he got back. He took it, used it for the activity we were doing at the moment, and promptly left it on the floor of the classroom. I have no doubt he will leave the inscription section of the test blank, or make up fake words.
Most of the class, in fact, left that section blank. And this is what brings me, finally, to the point of this post, and the logic behind the title. I hand out a study guide every chapter at least two days before the test. On this study guide is a handy list of everything the students need to know for the test. There's that word again: know. Most of my HS Latin I students seem to think that when I say they need to know this, they should glance at it once or twice, vaguely remember having seen these terms and ideas before, and that means they're ready for the test.
Despite the fact that they have now taken eight of my tests, which all follow the same format, they seem to think that they will not have to actually recall facts. I do really wonder if this is because they have grown so used to all multiple-choice, all the time. We had the same problem today on a tense quiz; we spent yesterday practicing, and I told them the exact format of the quiz, yet today half of them or more acted as if they had never seen this kind of exercise before, much less been shown how to do it and practiced. The notion of knowing something - being able to manipulate data and express ideas in a free-form setting - is a joke in this class. Half of them are in eleventh or twelfth grade. They are driving cars. It is truly a frightening proposition that a group of people so resistant to learning of any kind are operating such complex machines.
In the end, it all reminds me of an all-too-true statement I heard on the show Weeds which reflected what I fear has become reality in public education. A child named Shane Botwin had no idea what his mother was referencing when she referred to an event from US history. His uncle asked him, "What do they teach you at that school?"
Answer: "How to pass the standardized test."
Monday, November 17, 2008
A new direction?
I'm toying with the idea of reviving this journal as a means of commenting on the joys of the public education system, relating funny (read: depressing) stories about my students, etc. Don't know if I have the motivation or not, but we'll see.
Six out of my eighteen Latin I students did their homework over the weekend. I'm not sure if I'm more disappointed that they didn't even try it, or that they didn't even make up fake excuses. The unapologetic laziness of 90% of my students is a constant dead weight dragging down my optimism about my job. Most days I find myself hoping fervently that my high school students are NOT indicative of their generation as a whole.
Studying has become passe, an outmoded fad, yet another casualty of cable TV and the internet. My students know who knocked up whom on what trashy TV show, which celebrity is dating which, and how many touchdowns has scored this season, but cannot be bothered to memorize four new items (seriously, four - not even concepts, just verb forms) over 3 days. Two students (again, out of eighteen) memorized all four.
What frightens me most is that I have the "smart kids."
Six out of my eighteen Latin I students did their homework over the weekend. I'm not sure if I'm more disappointed that they didn't even try it, or that they didn't even make up fake excuses. The unapologetic laziness of 90% of my students is a constant dead weight dragging down my optimism about my job. Most days I find myself hoping fervently that my high school students are NOT indicative of their generation as a whole.
Studying has become passe, an outmoded fad, yet another casualty of cable TV and the internet. My students know who knocked up whom on what trashy TV show, which celebrity is dating which, and how many touchdowns
What frightens me most is that I have the "smart kids."
Saturday, August 25, 2007
To pacify Ryan...
I have grievances with Microsoft too. Top of my list at the moment is why on earth they decided to make Office 2007 filetypes incompatible with older versions. Why, Microsoft? Why save as .docx when you can opt to save as .doc anyway? I can only imagine it's an attempt to make people upgrade to 2007 just to avoid the hassle/annoyance of choosing "Save As Type" and picking .doc extension and/or getting a translator program. Sigh.
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