So last week...on Thursday

So, why is it that my students dont understand the concept that test = silence? I wouldn't think it would be hard to equate that into their minds since they should of been doing that since 1st grade but apparently it is hard for most of them to do so. I am not talking about cheating I am talking about just chattering like a bunch of little girls who do this for their primary recreational means.

Beyond that, also, how hard is it to study? I am really being serious. I give them a week, an entire week, to study. What happens? The more sorriest excuses come up to my attention. There is no excuse. They waited to the last moment, see this nice question filled test, and then start to complain. OMGosh. I love my students but you gotta study to be able to pass.

So my 7th grade was semi-ok. I yelled at them when they began to talk. Told them off by telling them that I do not deserve to be treated with poor respect and that I wasn't going to be tolerating their misbehaviors against me and the other kids in the class. I think I got my point across because a lot of them were sincerely sad that I was upset with them. Go me, they really love me! After the test we did creative writing since there was not that much time left with the entire period.

The 6th grade, except for a couple of them, all seemed to have studied. Did the test quickly and efficently too. We got to do grammar in class with their workbook before also moving on to the creative writing.

The 8th grade....I really feel for some of these boys. The good kids in the class did the test, no complaints, I knew they had studied. Bad kids were complaining the entire time that they didnt know they had a test, that they couldn't study, bleh bleh bleh. Come on, an entire week they are told there is a test. There isn't any excuses.

So, onto more of this blog :).

So, how do I make the test?

Well, I give them notes, ala questions pertaining to the work we are covering in class. Since I have so short amount of time with them I need to really focus on the major points of the chapter, leaving the hw to really see how they understand the text at home.

The test is made from only the questions on the notes. I'll reword them, sometimes change it up a lil, but only the vocab from the textbook and the note questions are found on my test. Now if you knew this, wouldn't you be able to study effectively and be able to score high on a test? Especially when the teacher goes through every question during the note time?

I really do try my best, I slim down the text of the book because we dont have all the time in the world to go line by line, they dont carry their textbooks back and forth, I never overload them with HW, the notes are very consise, I explain everything during class, and they get study questions to use as a guide during reading the book at home and studying for a test....tell me how I am being unfair?

Most of the kids see my reasoning, just hoping those who aren't trying so hard will try and make a better effort. I don't get these students in my classroom with nearly enough time, but I do the best I can.

Beyond the work, I was cleaning our home and found materials I had forgotten about so I have a lot grammar and english materials to bring to bear on them in the next coming weeks. Yay.

So for the past two days

It has been a couple of hectic last few days. I really wonder what goes on inside the minds of some of these boys.

The Principal instituted a really cute idea called Maturity Cards. Similar to the Detention Cards we use to give detention these have the opposite effect and they could lead to prizes, get out of 'jail' free, etc. Good system, the boys are liking it beyond all the other candy coated prizes we give them for behaving like they should be within the confines of their seats.

Continued to move forward with the yearbook plans, hoping that we'll be having things set up to make sure we can complete everything by March.

The 6th Grade was horrible today because the one kid who was misbehaving the other day, P.Y., was at it again. The thing was yesterday they were all angels because he behaved because he wanted his detention off. But why should it be taken off? He got himself into trouble and thereby needs to realize you can't escape the punishment for trying to be good later, not like this, and not with the utter disrespect he shows me. To make matters worse in the 6th Grade the Rebbe moves the seats, horrible positions for English, and need to speak to him about it tomorrow.

The 7th Grade was much better today in comparison to yesterday, which was actually sad. This class has had a lot of hardships and we've been through a lot so it really hurts me when they aren't doing their best. Two kids in particular were offending me because they were talking like a pack of girls...and there were only two of them! They got red cards and have detention for tomorrow - so Y.F. and A.M. are going to get it next week. Warned the boys they better study for the test tomorrow or else.

The 8th Grade was good because we were missing one of the major trouble makers, so of course they were good. Got through the lesson and was able to work on some of the yearbook materials with them.

At least tomorrow is test day for all the grades, much easier day for me lol....

Going to go work on the yearbook some more.

So, my day

Today was supposed to be a quiet day since I had planned to give them a quiz with open notes and then move on to do something easy with them afterwards, however I was completely wrong.

Because of the 'vacation' most of my 7th grade didn't even turn in their HW. Then they were so disorganized I am pretty sure that a town hit by a tornado would of been in better shape than they would of been. The Menahel had to sit in the class towards the end because of their behavior. This quiz was a disaster for them as well because of course some left them at home or lost them or I knew they didn't do notes last week (which was the point of the entire quiz, to force them to do more notes) that I gave them.

My 6th graders, besides one kid (P.Y.), we absolutely amazing. We did the quiz with their notes, everyone did it...even the one kid that doesn't ever do notes. Then we proceeded to go onto creative writing which was an absolute fun today, a lot of ideas thrown around and generally class was good, especially when I gave out the candy lol.

Now my 8th grade, now they were their usual selves except for M.K and M.B because both of them were actually quite good and not a part of their distructive behavior at all. Unfortunately most of the class was acting badly, but the quiz got through well...actually it was more of a full period essay writing because I made them do a lot more work than the other grades and they are practicing due to ELA that is upcoming soon.

Now the school has been rather disorganized lately with everyone just butting in and nothing ever really being done. The real issue is that several kids cannot be thrown out, so we have to suffer with them in the classroom. I understand that point I am very perplexed because at the moment if there was more organization being done then maybe, just maybe, we could actually have things work better in the school. Hoping the new behavioral ideas being instituted tomorrow with the backing of both Principals will work. We'll see tomorrow if it does.

So

This is going to be a new thing for me and we'll see where it goes.

I love teaching and this blog is going to be more about expressing that instead of just blowing off stream. I love my kids, I love teaching, but the jewish educational system can be very frustrating. It's hard to think outside the box when it comes to teaching in such an enclosed world, however I try my best.

Let's hope this blog does some good