Flu season--H1N1 or seasonal--has hit my school like a mack truck on a mission. The last few days have been ridiculous in terms of the number of students missing.
Each Fall we always get a ton of kids who have the sniffles or colds and coughs. It happens when the weather turns and when the air gets damp. Colds just appear, kinda like morning fog. This year it's another story altogether. We have a ton of kids out sick with flu-like symptoms. Thirteen from just one class were out on Friday, and 18 are missing from a class of 26 today. Unbelievable.
I've officially become known as The Germ Nazi by my older students. As soon as one class leaves I start wiping down desks and spraying keyboards. In previous years I've only had to do it at the end of the day or between classes when I have an hour or two of nothing, but this year I'm not taking any chances. My room is a germ-free zone and I intend to keep it that way!
We've been taking precautions as a school: reminding kids to wash their hands with soap and water, giving them hand sanitizer after using the handrails, covering mouths with tissues when they cough and sneeze, and just being digilent about washing down frequently touched surfaces. It won't solve the problem completely, but it will keep it at bay for a little while longer. Hell, if I can make it to Parent-Teacher Conferences without feeling like I'm on death's doorstep, I'll consider it a victory. That's only 2 weeks, 4 days from now. I CAN DO IT!!!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Ah, progress reports
I am of the belief that the progress report is a brilliant and senseless invention on the part of the educational system.
It exists to show students and parents where a child stands halfway through the quarter and if they can raise their grade or if it will slip if a student continues to keep up their current pattern of behavior. In theory it's a piece of genius. In actuality a student's grade can go from an A to an F in 5 weeks if they really want it to, so a student who has an A at progress reports might not keep it come report cards.
For teachers, they're helpful because you'll notice a student struggling and then the entire quarter isn't a complete wash, but at the same time they're pretty time consuming. Not as time consuming as, say, report cards, but they still require a lot of effort. You need to add up grades and decide where a student is and if they're in danger of slipping. You also need to write up behavior notes for particular students, and some parents request that their child get a progress report no matter what, so you need to make sure you don't miss those kids.
And for those in my position, you need to track down the teachers and give them grades ASAP. You might get lucky and then there are some who have grades done 2 weeks before they're due, thus rendering your comments and hard work completely pointless.
As a parent, I'd look forward to getting a progress report. As a teacher, I usually want one or two more weeks to crank them out. However, in the first quarter we're all a little more motivated, so getting them done is a chore, but then it's over and you can move on to the next lesson. In the 4h quarter, you have to complete your grades and then come up with about a week's worth of lessons and homework to keep them busy and working and on their toes as long as possible. And lemme tell ya, it's not easy once the warm weather sets in and you see the sun for the first time in ages. The kids are climbing the walls to get out, and the teachers aren't far behind.
::sigh:: Back to the grind. Three classes done, 3 more to go.
It exists to show students and parents where a child stands halfway through the quarter and if they can raise their grade or if it will slip if a student continues to keep up their current pattern of behavior. In theory it's a piece of genius. In actuality a student's grade can go from an A to an F in 5 weeks if they really want it to, so a student who has an A at progress reports might not keep it come report cards.
For teachers, they're helpful because you'll notice a student struggling and then the entire quarter isn't a complete wash, but at the same time they're pretty time consuming. Not as time consuming as, say, report cards, but they still require a lot of effort. You need to add up grades and decide where a student is and if they're in danger of slipping. You also need to write up behavior notes for particular students, and some parents request that their child get a progress report no matter what, so you need to make sure you don't miss those kids.
And for those in my position, you need to track down the teachers and give them grades ASAP. You might get lucky and then there are some who have grades done 2 weeks before they're due, thus rendering your comments and hard work completely pointless.
As a parent, I'd look forward to getting a progress report. As a teacher, I usually want one or two more weeks to crank them out. However, in the first quarter we're all a little more motivated, so getting them done is a chore, but then it's over and you can move on to the next lesson. In the 4h quarter, you have to complete your grades and then come up with about a week's worth of lessons and homework to keep them busy and working and on their toes as long as possible. And lemme tell ya, it's not easy once the warm weather sets in and you see the sun for the first time in ages. The kids are climbing the walls to get out, and the teachers aren't far behind.
::sigh:: Back to the grind. Three classes done, 3 more to go.
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