Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Cutting Class?

My test today was very short, and I worried all night about what I would do if the girls all finished quickly, and I would have to start teaching.
I came up with a plan. Before I gave the history test in each class, I had them listen to a song I had brought in, Joe Dimaggio's card, on Journeys III. I had brought it up in class when we had discussed inflation; how when there is more of something. ie: money, it becomes worth less. Whereas when an item is rare, the price will go up.
This song was about a baseball card that was very rare. The girls really loved it, but I could see they were edgy about the test. They didn't believe me when I said that it would only take them 45 minutes.
I had them daven mincha, and then I gave out the test.
I was right. Most girls finished within 45 minutes.
Going back to lunchtime, L.K. cam over to me to tell me that she wasn't able to take the test because she had been absent the day before and she had missed some material for the test. She also had not studied because she hadn't been feeling well.
I wasn't happy, but I told her that if her mother spoke to the secretary and the secretary wrote me a note, I would let her take it the next day.
I spoke to the secretary and asked her to play along. I just wanted L.K. to see that there was an authority in the school, and that she couldn't just do what she pleased.
Well, she sure got authority. The principal, made her take the test.
I was really angry, but L.K. took it and failed.
I have to give it to her anyway tomorrow, but now she has the advantage of knowing all the examples on the test. This policy of the principal is brilliance. Sheer brilliance.
Another thing that had happened lunchtime was that I got a message to call S.G.L.'s mother.
I knew right away what this was about. S.G.L. had left all the studying to the night before, and she wasn't able to take the test today. Same old story.
I spoke to the mother and explained to her that her daughter needed to show more responsibility. I had given her the notes a week in advance for this very reason, and she still didn't bother to study.
The mother had to agree with me, but she did also complain that the "easy notes" were now harder than they used to be and her daughter wasn't coping.
The truth is, the notes were harder. I had found these great summaries that were on a 5th -6th grade level, perfect for the girls. Perfect for me too, I now didn't have to spend all that time typing up special notes for the girls.
My old notes were on a third grade level and I really though the girls were ready to move on. the only girl who was really having a problem was S.G.L.
I believe her real problem is that she doesn't bother to study in advance.
I told the mother that I would have to speak to the daughter before deciding what to do about the test.
I came into the 7a class after recess, and lo and behold, S.G.L. wasn't there.
She cut my class.
I couldn't very well leave the classroom and go after her, but I made up my mind to speak to the principal about it.
Of course, I couldn't catch the principal after school, so I figured I'd wait until tomorrow.
But then I got a call from my co. She told me that the principal had come over and spoken to her about S.G.L. and my co had mentioned something about my test.
I knew right away that the principal had probably gotten the wrong message, so I called her at home to settle the issue. (I mean, if she could call me at my house, why cant I do it to her?)
I called, but there was no answer. I left a message for her to call me back.
I left the house soon after to go to a meeting, and when I cam back 4 hours later, my husband told me that I had missed her call.
She had given him the message that she had spoken to the student and she knew what was going on.
That's exactly my problem. She did not know what was going on! Was she going to take the entire story from a student that was wreaking havoc in my class without even asking me anything? Who's word is more important, the student or the teacher?
The highlight of my day was as I dropped into bed. I was so exhausted, I was half asleep when I heard my husband say, " When your principal called, I wanted to kill her over the phone."
It's nice when my husband tries to take care of me, but this situation is one I'll have to deal with on my own.
I need to teach this principal a lesson.

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