Finals are here. I think (I know) I am more stressed about them than my students are. Finals were much easier when I was a student then they are now as a teacher. When I was a student I just had to make sure that I knew the material. Now I have to make sure that 41 twelve to fourteen year olds know that material: this task is proving more difficult. I can’t control their studying and I like being in control.
I feel so invested in their success. When they don’t do their homework, I feel so let down. I need to let go of that personal aspect of it. If they don’t do their homework, they probably haven’t been doing their homework for their whole lives. I shouldn’t take it personally. It is just so frustrating because I only have 45 minutes with them every day. The material falls on their shoulders and if they don’t want to learn, then they won’t. That is what gets me.
I have two kids in my 7th grade class who have D’s. They don’t do their homework. Ever. I sent notes home. I have had the sit down talks. I have taken away privileges, I have tried reward, systems, they have gone to the resource teacher, and I send them to detention. Nothing works. It is so hard not to give up on them. I don’t think they are going to pass this quarter.
This week I am scrambling. I am making review sheets. We are playing Jeopardy review games. I am trying to seek out the subjects they are still struggling with and drive them home.
Some things they have so much trouble with. My eighth grade Physical Science class is particularly difficult. The material I have been teaching so far (metric system and measurement) has been pretty dry. Okay, it’s really dry. I try to make it as fun as possible, but lets be honest, converting units sucks. We all hate it. This class is so hard to teach though. They are a stereotypical middle school class. Laziness, attitude, and apathy plagues them. They are chatty and are always touching one another. They drain me so much.
Today I was teaching a difficult concept in density. Four of the students totally have it and the rest are struggling. I have been teaching around this concept for three days and these kids are struggling translating the science into the the math. They have never combined these two things before. I have taken this subject from many different angles and today I totally got burnt out on it. I was doing a problem on the board, stringing them along, asking them questions as I went and they were slouched in their chairs giving me a blank stare (“Bueler…. Beuler?”). Silvia whined out in that “No, meeeester…..” voice that makes me crazy “I don’t get it.” Exasperated, I yelled, “Yes you DO get it!” Wow, really helpful, Mr. Greene. Nice one… I took a step back, took a breathe, and said, “we’ll take a stab at this again tomorrow. Lets play review jeopardy.”
Finals…im crossing my fingers.
