My Students Have Their Say

Last week, I wrote about the dismal numbers my students had earned in the first half of the third quarter. Sadly, I was not the only teacher with such horrible scores so our principal is asking everyone to try and analyze and quantify the causes and issues involved. Yesterday, I asked my students why they think they are doing so poorly in class. Once you eliminate the duplicate answers what follows are their own words (typos and all). The range is interesting. At least one of my students (hi Latoya!) reads this blog and she told me yesterday that even though I do not mention names, she sees herself in here when I speak in a more collective sense, which I thought was interesting.Last time I asked this, several put the blame on me for being boring or a bad teacher and I notice that has dropped off significantly so maybe, just maybe, they are beginning to take ownership of their own performance.In no particularly order:

• They have to follow rules in this class and others. Mr. Greenberger has to be way more strict because I have some of these kids in my other classes and hey don’t act like they do here because that other teacher would either call their parents with them there or take their cellphone…

• Well, really get on them and students can help them and parents should help at home

• They are p(l)aying because the classes are sometimes boring

• I don’t know

• They do not take the education seriously, they play around

• This might be happening because the student are not understanding, or and the are not taking the class seriously

• I’m guessing the ones that are failing aren’t fully applying themselves. They’re not showing as much effort as they can.

• I think that 49 out of 92 freshmen in your classes failed because they simply don’t care and are too worried about their social life than their classwork.

• They can stop talking to their classmates and not be on their phones.

• Some people get distracted easily. I can pay attention more.

• Some just don’t care.

• Some kids do not have discipline or not have a household figure to look up to for guidance and support.

• As a senior, I’ve messed up because I didn’t care; that’s why I’m sitting in this class now, Most freshmen don’t care and don’t realize the consequences.

• They are failing because they don’t do no work. It’s not because they don’t know it. It is because they don’t apply their self and understand the importance of school.

• Teenagers from the classes need to respect the teacher and let him talk and teach us. They can stop with being rude, because their the ones who are gonna fail, not the teacher.

• People failing because the work to hard.
• Sports and activities take a lot of time that you can spend on the improvement of your grades or to do homework.

• I don’t know. Mr., all that I want is your help because I don’t understand all

What do I do with this information? Well, become more targeted in inviting students to after school coach class. Speak with the ESOL staff for their help where appropriate. If they want me to be stricter, I can certainly hand out more detentions and make more calls home. We’ll see if that positively changes things as we race toward the end of the school year.