12 Days of School

This week is SOL testing. Yesterday I got to help proctor the Earth Science SOL. I got kind of irritated when the teacher paused to say something like, "You know, I teach them all this stuff and then they have to apply it." It sounded sort of whiney. I don't really understand what's wrong with a test that requires students to apply what they learned. Overall the students did pretty well. Some of my students complained that they failed, but honestly, the ones that compained are the same ones that come to my class without a pencil and without a will to succeed. Those are the same one's that will be taking my class again next year. I wish for them to fail, but sometimes they need to. Maybe next year they'll be the phoenix rising from the ashes of a wrecked ninth grade year.

In my class we're slogging our way through The Road. Some of my kids seem really into it and they complain when I stop reading to them. Others couldn't care less. I feel pretty good about teaching this book because it's really different and it's challenging. I can reach some students with this book that I can't reach with others, plus the boys kind of get into it.