School's Out!

Workday - none

Oh well, I guess I didn't blog in those last days of the week. Now school's over, and I thought I'd just check in to say hi and have a happy summer!

I'm going to be spending the month of July taking a course to upgrade. I might write something now and then to vent about this class. Otherwise, however, consider this blog on summer hiatus.

Ciao!

The Final Marks

Workday - 8:45am-3:30pm

Today was the day students got their final marks from teachers. They were also allowed to look at their final exams. I'm actually quite surprised the day was incident-free. My students were all fairly mellow about their results. The ones who failed seemed to know it was coming (even the couple of students who were doing well at the beginning of the semester but took nose-dives in the last month). The most extreme reactions I got were from a couple of people who passed and didn't expect it.

Even my one student whose mark was so low she can't even attend summer school was fairly sedate about the news. I told her she'll have to talk to guidance a.s.a.p. to change her schedule for next year. Plus, she should take the "applied" stream of math in grades 9 and 10 to make it easier on herself. She was nodding along, but it's hard to tell if she'll actually switch levels. Sometimes these kids are just going along with what you're saying to appease you.

The distribution of grades was actually only the first two hours of the day. We teachers had to be there for the full day (of course), and spent the rest of our time doing whatever needed to be done.

At first, I thought it would be another day of nothing. However, my boss found me stuff to do for the afternoon. The task was simple enough. I just needed to find some repertoire for the grade 9 band class in September. Tomorrow I'll be photocopying the music I chose.

I found out my (always tentative) timetable for next year, as well. As of now, I have all three keyboard classes and one grade 9 band (for music). It sounds a lot like this past year, except there were only two keyboard classes in total. My other two classes will be math (yay! No more careers!), but I'm not sure what courses they'll be. I talked to the math department head about it last week, and I was timetabled for three math classes at the time. Those classes were two applied grade 10s, and one grade 11 "math for everyday life" (read: the most basic level math you can take in grade 11). Now that I only have two maths, it's hard to say which two they'll be. I guess I hope they'll be the two grade 10 classes so I'll only have one prep.

Hm. I guess today's entry had nothing funny or interesting to say. Sorry about that.

The countdown:
3 days left, or
3 weekdays, or
3 days where I actually have to go into the school.
Woo!

Hello Summer!

Workday - 8:45am-12:30pm

Holy #$%@! I'm done! And, boy, does it feel good!

I went in to work today to print my report cards. Then I helped out in the music department with some menial tasks. Any student who was stupid enough to be hanging around (and they always are, but they didn't realize it would be hurting them this time!) was given a job to do. I actually feel bad, because I didn't do much at all. Once I'd finished my initial task, I spent the rest of the morning tutoring someone. I forgot that I'd promised I would drill her on some ear training exercises for her upcoming Conservatory practical exam.

Once I had exhausted those drills, I came out to the working world again to find that all the other tasks had been divvied up! I told the department head I'd go run to grab some lunch and then help the kids with what they're doing. However, no sooner had I brought back lunch then I saw everyone start to leave! At least, almost everyone. And the other two teachers were potential rides to the subway station. So, I ate quickly and got the hell out of there!

I felt a bit bad, though, because I had promised I'd be in on Wednesday to help out with anything. However, as the boss saw us leaving he said "you're leaving? Thank God! Now I might finally be able to get some work done!"

Guilt gone.

I could blog about a lot of other things right now. Like how most of my students failed that math exam. Or how many failed the class altogether and will need to go to summer school in July. And the one student whose mark was so low she can't even attend summer school and will have to take the whole course over again next year. However, that's only for the best -- she can barely add. Ideally, she should sign up for some super-remedial math class (if there were such a thing at my school). I just don't know what's up with the math education these kids are getting in junior high school.

Anyway, I guess that paragraph pretty much says it all. No need to blog any more about that.

I'm not really sure why I have to go in this Friday, but I do. So I will. I guess it'll be an extended-lunch/major-write-off sort of day. Next week, however, will be full of more important tasks to complete. Frankly, I don't care why I have to be at school. I'd show up to lick the walls, if they told me to. Just as long as I don't have to do any more teaching or marking, I'm happy! I've burnt out, and I'm ready for the summer.

I just realized that these past 10 months is the longest consecutive period I've ever taught. My previous gigs were broken up with bits of unemployment stuck in between.

Hooray for my first complete and full year!

And the countdown:
8 days left, or
6 weekdays, or
5 days where I actually have to go into the school.

The Math Exam

Workday - 1:30pm-4:30pm

Today was the grade 9 math exam. I have 63 of them sitting on my coffee table, currently. That's right, two of my students didn't show to the exam. Ok, one of whom I wasn't expecting (he's long dropped out) and the other one is getting something like 10% in the course, so I'm sure he realized it wasn't a worthy cause. I wonder, however, why he decided to show up to school today.

As I walked into the classroom 15 minutes before the start of the exam, I was jumped on by one student.

"Quick! Ms. Smartypants! Teach me how to factor!"

Ha! HA! He doesn't come in to the tutorial days on Thursday and Friday or any help sessions, and he thinks I'll jump to teach him something now? I almost did, too. Then I thought better of it.

"Too late, sorry. You didn't come to the tutorials, why should I help you now?"

So, here's what I have left: the last 4 pages* of 53 exams to mark (plus totalling and inputting to the marks program). Then 65 report cards. Then, I believe I'm finished!

And the countdown:
10 days left, or
8 weekdays, or
6 days where I actually have to go into the school.

* a big thank you to my mom and sister who marked the first three pages. Thanks!

Let The Countdown Begin

Workday - 8:30am-4:00pm

And so the exam period has begun. The past two days have been tutorials periods in the morning and exams in the afternoon. I've supervised two of the three exams assigned to me, so far. My last one is on Monday at 2pm (and is the only exam that is actually for one of my classes).

In the past week, I've conquered marking 64 math tests and 64 math quizzes. The week before that I had marked 26 resumes and 26 learning plans for my careers class. All I have left now are 26 cover letters and 26 final portfolios (14 of each, actually. I finished 12 today). Then, on Monday, I'll have 64 math exams. And then I'm done! Woohoo!

Well, I forgot the 92 report cards I have to complete after all of that marking is finished, but whatever.

I know what some of your are thinking now: 26 students in your careers class, 64 students in your combined math classes, that doesn't add to 92! You're some math teacher!

And to you I say: Shut the hell up! You want to try teaching high schoolers math sometime? You think it's easy??

No no, I'm just kidding. The truth is, I have 92 students altogether. 65 in math and 27 in careers. But that doesn't mean this will be the number of assignments/tests/etc. I'll have to grade!

One of my math students seems to have dropped out so he hasn't written a quiz or test in weeks. I assume he won't be writing the final exam, either. Also, one of my careers students didn't hand in a portfolio -- which means she'll fail. It's a shame, too. That course is not only excruciatingly easy to pass, but also quite easy to pass with an A. That's not even the real shame. The real shame is that I noticed this student worked very hard in this class for the first half of it. She only started slacking recently, and the problem is that almost everything that's worth anything would be the stuff that's due at the end.

I've seen her since, and I had told her she won't pass this class now. She actually seems genuinely sorry that she hadn't submitted the assignments. Not much I can do about it, though. I've seen her records from past classes, and I've noticed she hasn't passed much. It would have been nice for her to get this credit, since she was getting an A with the rest of them until two weeks ago. Without a resume, cover letter, or final portfolio though, there's really no way she can succeed.

So, anyway. We're now in the final days of school. Some kids are done, and others will finish sometime before the middle of next week. I, however, am not free until June 24th. I do get to take two days off next week, though. Plus the days I have to show up won't really be arduous work.

The countdown begins:
13 days left, or
9 weekdays, or
7 days where I actually have to go into the school.

:)

Letters of Reference

Workday - 8:15am-4:15pm

In my careers class, I have each student get a letter of reference/recommendation from someone by the end of the course to keep on file. Basically, these kids are building a portfolio of things they'll need to apply for jobs in the future (be it part-time and menial, or a real career after graduation).

The letter should just be a general one from any reference (who isn't a relative...or church leader either, I believe. I think they're not allowed because of some bias, too). As long as it works to give to potential employers or even future schools, that's fine with me. In the end, it's really for the student and not myself.

Unfortunately, somewhere down the line there's been a breakdown in communication. Most of the students (of course) asked their teachers at school, which is fine because references at their age are often teachers. It was the teachers who are having trouble writing this letter. They're not understanding what it's for or what should be on it. Many have assumed this is a letter they need to write for me, and have personally addressed some paragraph (if not, a sentence) about how the student in question is an upstanding individual.

Thanks.

A teacher who wrote the atrocity above is actually someone I know in the math department -- so I confronted him, myself. I hate that I now have repeatedly clarify what this letter is about to every teacher asked. In fact, I told this one guy exactly what he should write. A couple of days later, he churned it out and showed it to me excitedly. I even found myself replying with, "Good work! Good for you!"

Picture a man who I believe is 60 years old and has been teaching for decades; me, in my mid-20s. It must have seemed so condescending. And yet he grinned, proudly.

Meanwhile, other teachers had told the students they are not going to do their homework for them and that the kids should be writing this letter themselves. Then the referee will sign this letter. The poor students don't have a clue how to write a letter of reference, so they're whining to me about how I never taught them the format for one.

Of course, it seems the teachers don't have a clue how to write a reference letter, either.