This site is a class blog space for new Career and Technical Specializations and Heathcare Science teachers enrolled in the New Teacher Institute (NTI) at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Grading Students!!!!!
For the first time since i've been teaching, I had 15 students to receive a grade of failing on their progress report. When I assessed the material to see if there had been an error on my part or if there was any extra credit that I could offer the students to help improve their grades. I discovered that the students had either decided not to do the work or that they just don't come to class. We have a big problems with students skipping class. I decided that the best thing that I could do for them was to allow them to see the grades that they had earned. I received an e-mail from my department chair stating that the whole department had a high failure rate and that we did not want to fail the students because it would make them not want to take our classes in the future. I was said that CTAE classes were electives and not required so, we need to make learning fun.
Tameka,
ReplyDeleteLuckily, our school handles skipping very well. The burden is not on the teacher, but on the administration. It makes things less stressful for us. They do have ways for students to make the time up if they truly care about their grades. I think sometimes we are left breaking the stigma of what a true career and technology class ought to be. I imagine you are like me and are passionate about what you teach. I want my students to have fun. I want them to enjoy the class, but like I tell them from day one, I am not here to babysit you, I am here to teach you a trade. I can't explain why some career and technology teachers choose to make it a fluff class, but to me that is on their hands. That's not what we were hired to do.
Hi, Tameka - Dwayne's comment is right on the money. I also think you were right to show your students their grades, as they should always know where they stand gradewise. Now comes the hard part and that is convincing them to do what needs to be done to pass. Calling parents, before and after school sessions, extra projects . . . use all these strategies and more. The key is to find something that they find interesting, or at least compelling, that will focus their behavior for the rest of the year. You have your work cut out for you, but take the challenge and make them work for their passing grade - do not just pass them!
ReplyDelete