New Comments from Students

So, today I heard the typical question at this time of the year. Quarter grades were just released. So, the question of the day was "How can I raise my grade?" I am amazed at how often they don't want to hear the answer! I say, "Do all your homework, classwork and do better on quizzes." They say, "No, what can I do now?" Are they thinking that if they click their heels together 3 times and bat their little eyelashes that the grade will magically change? It takes more than 5 minutes to make up for 11 weeks of minimal effort.

The other comment/question was, "Why did you put [choose a comment] on my report card?" Could it be because that is a true statement? The sense of entitlement these students show saddens me. I don't like to say "back when I was a kid" because that can be said by just about every generation, and some of the changes are good, some bad. BUT, education needs to change. We need smaller class sizes, more one-on-one work with students, and less "cookie cutter" styles. Not all students learn the same way, and not all ways are effective with students. Even in my own class, I think lecture is not the best method, but based on 33-36 students per class, it is the one method that reaches more students at a time. I would rather have 3 or 4 sitting around a table working together and me coming along side to encourage and reinforce understanding. THAT is the reason I like charter schools and homeschooling.