Motivation

Report cards are quickly coming, and I had a lot of students failing because they don't do their work. My classroom policy is that they can turn in late work for full credit (the reason being because I want them to learn the material and know that they won't be penalized for needing the extra time). Well, even with this policy my students' still arn't turning in their work (laziness is what it is). So I guess my question is: does anyone have any ideas on how to motivate high school juniors/seniors to do their HW?

FCAT

Well, FCAT is quickly approaching and the math portion of the FCAT will be given on the computer (oohhhh boy). For the last few weeks, I have been sending my juniors and seniors (who have not passed the FCAT) to the computer lab to practice. In the computer lab, there is an instructor that watches over the kids to make sure that they are doing what they are supposed to be doing (practicing FCAT). Come to find out, my kids (and other teachers kids too), are either: 1) not showing up when I send them to the computer lab (wondering the halls skipping), 2) playing video games on the internet, or 3) guessing at the FCAT answers because the computer will eventually tell you the answer anyway. At this point, all I could do is talk with the computer lab teacher and remind her of her job (to make sure my kids are on task), BUT, nothing has changed. I've even spoken with my kids about the importance of being on task while in the computer lab (and still nothing has changed). Let's just say that I am very fearful for this new computerized FCAT and I have a feeling that this is going to hurt a lot of schools. Anyone else having these issues? 

Senior-itis

I don't know about your kids, but my seniors (and even some juniors) have caught the famous Senior-itis bug. Once their counselor had confirmed that they had enough credits to graduate, they completely shut down. However, I must say that I am very proud of myself: because last Monday, I called each-and-every one of those student's parents, and had them put in mandatory after school tutoring. So it is now two days later (after all those phone calls), and my students have started to do work again. It's amazing what parents and mandatory tutoring can do :-)

Need Advice

I have a Muslim student who sleeps in class, does not attempt any work, and DEMANDS  passing grades. After he sleeps in my class, he will then come to lunch tutoring the follow day and DEMAND that I teach him again. He will say things like “you’re the teacher and you have to teach me.” My response was usually “okay fine.” However, lately my response has been: “I’m sorry _____, you chose to sleep in class, (which was your scheduled time to learn this material), and so I’m not going to help you during my lunch hour today.” 

To continue with this story, this student is now purposely sleeping through chapter exams/quiz, and then waits for me to grade the other kids exams (and pass them back), so that he can look at his classmates exam to get the answers – and then he’ll come into my classroom during lunch to complete the exam and ACE a ten question test in 5 minuets. I have clearly caught on to his little act, so when he did it a week ago, I gave him a different exam when he came to lunch (different questions). OH BOY was he mad – he started yelling at me saying that this isn’t fair and that he should be allowed to take the same exam as the other students (blah, blah, blah). SO then he pulls out a $100 bill from his wallet and tells me to take his money so that I can pass him for graduation ! ! When I refused the money he then pulled out a really expensive digital camera as hands it to me “as a future wedding gift”!  I then asked who’s camara that was, and he said “it doesn’t matter, but it’s not mine.”  WHAT ON EARTH SHOULD  I DO WITH THIS CHILD? ? ? I have called Mom multiple times, and even spoke with the guidance councilor. The other concern I have is where on earth did he get $100 bill and the camera from ? ? If anyone is reading this blog, I could really use some advice. I am ready to give-up OR blow-up on this student (neither of which I want to do).

Discipline

For the last two days, I have spent my planning period with the discipline deans at the urban high school in which I teach. My main focus while working with them was to observe the possible differences in discipline between the students of different races and/or sex. What I observed was very interesting (to say the least). One of the first things I noticed was favoritism towards the boys that constantly get into trouble with their teacher. For example, one Latin boy was kicked out of class for “disorderly conduct” and was sent to the dean’s office for the remainder of that class. While in the office, the deans were joking around with this student as if they were best friends. This to me was crazy! My first thought was: no wonder this student was acting up in class – he has learned that if he acts up, the teacher will remove him, and he will then get to chit-chat with his buddy in the deans office. Finally, when the period was over (and the student went to his second class), I asked the dean how he was going to handle the disciplinary action for students behavior, and his response was “nothing, he’s a good kid.” Needless to say I was shocked! How on earth is this school going to be consistent with discipline? Unfortunately, I did not get the answers to what I was originally looking for (disciplining difference between different races and/or sexes); however, I did learn that favoritism and popularity play a role in how a student is treated. Does anyone else attend a school where the discipline deans do this?