Our department had several lengthy meetings last week. One topic on the agenda was to come up with a plan for getting students into our CTE programs who want to be there. Our classes have become a dumping ground. Many of my students tell me they did not sign up for my class. They were not consulted about their area of interest. They were just placed in the elective of the counselor's choosing. I fail to understand this practice. These misplaced students spend their energy disrupting the class in which they resent having been placed. Our students were told they could not change their schedules just because they did not want a particular class. Do any of you do anything special at your school that works to get students registered for the CTE program of their choosing?
Our school is on a traditional schedule. In one of the above mentioned department meetings we discussed our problem of just getting started on a lab when it is time to clean up and move on to the next period. We wonder how other schools with CTE programs manage labs with traditional hour-long class periods. We suggested asking administration to make our classes 2 periods long. Of course they will probably say, "No," but we can ask. I solicit input from any of you who teach in a traditional schedule and have labs to conduct.
It's a pleasure blogging with you.
I feel your pain. I have a number of students in one of my classes (seniors) that definitely don't want to be there and their poor attitude infects the other students. It also takes a lot of mental energy to deal with them on a daily basis. While my students weren't "dumped" into my class without their consent, most of them thought that the class would be easy and they wouldn't have to actually do much to get an "A" in the class. The counselors don't know enough about our programs to give the students an accurate picture. It's actually work, not a slack class.
ReplyDeleteThe only time students have been removed from any of my classes is during the break after they failed the first semester.
At the sake of repeating Chad............... I, too, feel your pain. This spring semester was my first taste of being "dumped on". I spent the first week marking "no" on schedules because they hadn't completed the intro IA class last semester. Then an administrator proceeded to tell me to just "give them a quick review" because she has no where else to put them. and because of past video production teachers these "dumped students" think that they will watch movies everyday for an easy A. So if your schools solves this situation, PLEASE let me know.
ReplyDeleteMy classes are 55 minutes long. And I know our lab excercises are very different, but if my students are shooting (video taping) around the school campus they have strict instructions to "tear down" and return their gear to the "cage" within the last 10 minutes of class. And if they are editing they save their projects and log off with 5 minutes left in the class. I know this doesn't help extend our class time, but it keeps a semi-well oiled machine/lab running somewhat smoothly.