I'm flying from South Bend to San Francisco. We're near Casper, Wyoming right now. It's a long flight.
Earlier this week I said I couldn't wait to get away. It has been a week of contrasts—and I feel as if I have two different teacher personalities as I meet my two classes. Today I met the morning class only so I am able to leave with a warm feeling about work.
This morning was an exceptionally cohesive morning with only five students. I don't know why there were so few. It was very cold and windy outside. Attendance always seems lower on Thursdays. Four of the five who came are really adults and test at middle school level or above.
They wondered where C was because she is always there. I said that she was in trouble and when I had asked her foster mother how we could help, she said pray for her. W asked immediately if she was locked up and I did not say—but that is exactly where she is. Their concern is an example of the positive classroom climate that is beginning to occur.
Our group lesson was on the Pythagorian Theorem and they were really engaged in learning how it worked. E's reaction was to call being in class “sweet.” He was concerned about how one could find a square root without a calculator because after all, in the old days, we didn't have calculators. I really couldn't remember how we did it, but suggested trial and error or guess and check. M went to the computer and found a you-tube video in Spanish, unfortunately, that showed how to do it. The lesson went so well that I pulled out an example of a problem from the GED predictor and they were all able to solve it easily. N said he was really learning things. When he did make a mistake, he quickly admitted he had not read carefully. He said that he knew this was the place to make mistakes. N left today saying “Thank you for being the way you are!”
So that's the morning class. Yesterday's afternoon class went well enough too—mostly because A and D and B were absent. I wrote up warnings for both A and B and mailed them this morning. It was so clear that those three are the culprits behind making that such a difficult class to manage. I was able to handle the very low-skilled students with patience when I was not distracted by the talking and inability to work that they demonstrate daily. I contrast their rudeness with E's calling me “Madam" in the morning!
Have I written about B's using J's lighter to melt her hair extensions—in class? Did I say that A refused to move to a private place to test and to stop talking while testing? For good measure, I added B's inability to make any gains in two months on post-tests and A's unexcused absences twice in the last two weeks on my written warnings.
At one point, I really raised my voice in the afternoon class. I don't want to be that way. I can't seem to figure out a way to coax mature behavior and concentration and respect from those three in particular. It will be better for all of us if they drop out, but it makes me sad.
So I will concentrate on the progress the morning students are making and the positive feedback they give me. And I will be glad to have a week—almost two weeks away from class.
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