Sometimes, you wonder what it takes to get through to them. Every year around this time, my 8th graders are studying the Civil War. After we finish all the lessons and take the test, my tradition is to spend the next few days showing the movie Glory, the 1989 masterpiece about the 54th Massachusetts Regiment that stars Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, and Morgan Freeman. Since Glory is rated R (in my opinion, it should be PG-13), I need to send home a permission letter for parents to sign and for the students to get back to me. If a student doesn't get the letter signed, or if the parent refuses to let the student watch the film (that rarely, if ever happens), I have to send the student(s) to another room to complete an alternate assignment.
The trick is that if too many students blow off turning in that letter, I can't show the movie because logistically, there aren't enough places for me to send all those students. Any more than five students and we have a serious problem. But there shouldn't be a problem right? Isn't every student capable of getting that letter turned in during the 3 days I give to get it done?
Last year, one of my three 8th grade periods didn't get to watch the movie because half of them didn't return the letter. I can't say I was surprised, as they were my class from hell that year.
Today, I just tallied up the letters turned in from my 3rd period 8th grade class, and I have 10 students who did not turn in the letter. The last couple days, I have been cajoling and reminding over and over to the point of absurdity that they need to turn the letter in no later than this Friday (today).
During all that reminding and cajoling, I have been getting sighs, rolling of the eyes, a bunch of "OK, we get it!", and the like. Apparently, too many of them did not get it, because there is nowhere for me to send 10 students. So guess what? No Glory for 3rd period.
Let's see how 7th and 8th periods do. To be continued....
Good Day to You, Sir
**UPDATE: 7th period will be watching the film, as only two students didn't turn in their permission letter. 8th period will not be watching the film, as 13 students did not turn in theirs. The two classes will be required to bring their textbooks next week and we will be working out of those while 7th period watches the film. I swear, nothing seems to matter to so many of these students.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free... it expects what never was, and never will be." --Thomas Jefferson
6 comments:
Years ago I remember showing a film that was new to me; when I put it on, most of my students said they had seen it already. Media just isn't the privilege it used to be.
George
LOL! Welcome to my world. Not only do I oversee the end of the year off-campus party for our 400 8th graders (which means they turn in permission slips to me) I have to put together the end of the year Awards Ceremony.
I swear, getting 400 13 year olds to give me permission slips is 10 times easier than getting 40 teachers to give me the names of their award winners. My nagging, cajoling and numerous reminder emails don't work - I always end up getting the principal after them.
Never expect more from a 13 year old than you are willing to do yourself, is my secret motto. :)
One of the best things I ever started using was a desk size pad of weekly calendar pages. I write birthdays, field trips, meetings, a to-do list in the margin, etc. It is right there in front of me every day.
When the secretary, another teacher, or the special ed dept. gives me a paper that needs a response, I try to do it right then if I can. The easier I make the secretary's (God bless her for keeping our school running sanely) day, the better she can help us when we run into a problem. She even finished laminating some thimgs for me one day last week when the bell rang before I was finished. If the Spec. ed. teachers need me to evaluate student progress, I do it standing at the teacher's mail box and put it right back in his box. Much less chance that I will put it in my room and forget it.
All student work goes in a special basket on my desk--nothing gets put anywhere else if they expect me to give credit and check it. I never lose student work!
When a student asks for a reference letter, they get a standard form to fill in with information about their activities, grades, and to whom the letter should be addressed. They give it back to me the next day, I write the letter of recommendation that day about 95% of the time, and give it to them the next day.
Efficiency works! Now if I could just convince that feet-dragging 3rd period to get their projects done!
Some in my school have resorted to showing any video they choose to keep the students occupied. They show "Star Wars" in science as pass it off as science fiction.
What struck me most about this post is that you have 8 periods. Wow!
I just watched my Seniors burn thru 25 minutes of work time. They have a major project due next week. Worst enemy indeed. I wish I could film so as to counter their complaints when I give them their final grades.
George
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