Technology Reflections

The end of the school year that is. I have already checked out – maybe even more so than some of my students. This is the first year in a few that I am extremely happy to see the year end. Sure – I had some really good times and there are some students I truly enjoyed, but the bad ones just overshadowed the good.

I can’t get past the sense of entitlement and lack of respect some of the kids have. As I explain, for the 40millionth time, how their behavior dictates my responses and they sit there with these looks on their faces like I’m the stupidest person they have ever encountered and of course it’s MY fault that they are being punished for not following the rules. Yes  – this is the ever-popular 4th period class (8th grade computers). Not all the kids are bad, and some have moved from the ‘part of the problem group’ to the ‘not part of the problem group’, but the ones who are the most disruptive and disrespectful just ruin it for me and the rest of the class. I tried all sorts of things with this class. I tried being tough, I tried being nice, I emailed and called home, I wrote detentions, I rewarded good behavior. When I stopped giving out candy (that I spent MY money on) for good behavior (because I wasn’t seeing a real increase in good behaviors) they complained! They just don’t get that they actually need to change their behaviors – they don’t think they are doing anything wrong! They questioned why I should give a referral to a student this week whose shirt was untucked (uniform school – shirts need to be tucked in at all times) after I told him TWICE in the same class period to tuck his shirt in. It’s like they don’t see the lines between child and adult.

I know I wrote in my previous post about how good these same kids were at the 8th Grade Formal – and they were! And they were also great on the 8th grade field trip and during the party we threw for them for having the highest scores on the state writing test in our county, but put them in a classroom or the cafeteria and they don’t think they have to behave.

To end on a positive note, my 7th graders were a bunch who I really liked (sure there were a few who I could live without – there always are) and I will miss them. Some were actually upset to realize that I don’t teach 8th grade reading. I’ve tried to encourage the ones I like to take 8th grade computers with me next year. I really hope I get a good group because that is usually my favorite class to teach, but I did not enjoy it this year!

I’m going to have a good summer, though, and next year will be a fresh slate!

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