NCLB - No Heart Left Behind

I wonder who we'll blame for this. Doctors at public hospitals?

In 1980-82, Dr. Singh said, people in the most affluent group could expect to live 2.8 years longer than people in the most deprived group (75.8 versus 73 years). By 1998-2000, the difference in life expectancy had increased to 4.5 years (79.2 versus 74.7 years), and it continues to grow, he said.

From the New York Times story:

• Doctors can detect and treat many forms of cancer and heart disease because of advances in medical science and technology. People who are affluent and better educated are more likely to take advantage of these discoveries.
• Smoking has declined more rapidly among people with greater education and income.
• Lower-income people are more likely to live in unsafe neighborhoods, to engage in risky or unhealthy behavior and to eat unhealthy food.
• Lower-income people are less likely to have health insurance, so they are less likely to receive checkups, screenings, diagnostic tests, prescription drugs and other types of care.

Well, it does look like the researchers aren't blaming "the system" or the doctors themselves. I wish the same could be said for my profession.


Reminds me of the dentist story from last year.

Homework and Final Grades

Do any teachers give no "effort" grade at all as part of their overall grade? For instance, depending on the course, 15% to 25% of the total grade comes from homework completed. There is no way that I can grade 135 homework assignments daily, so I walk around the room or collect homework and find the percent of the problems that were attempted. Only rarely do I actually grade the homework as being correct or incorrect.

The reason I check homework at all is because I understand its importance in helping the students learn. And on those occasions when I do not check their homework, I get lots of angry kids wondering out loud why they bother doing it at all. I can certainly mention how doing their homework helped them learn material that they didn't know before (a good reason) or that it will help them prepare for a test (a not so good reason), but it won't matter to them. They're angry for doing something for nothing.

But when it comes right down to it, I'm supposed to give them a grade on how well they have learned the math objectives. And homework is about the least reliable way of doing so. If I'm catching cheaters almost every quiz day (still at the end of the third quarter they are cheating off people next to them with different forms of the quizzes!) I know full well that they are cheating on the homework. I have kids who get single digits in percentage terms on quizzes even though I see that their homework is done well. Even kids I help - where I explain by asking questions of the kids themselves - cannot show me that they can do it on their own.

In an ideal world, kids would practice on their own until they know the material. Obviously, we don't live in a world like that. But if I'm to evaluate kids, giving them classwork or homework grades seems to skew the data in favor of kids that try harder. That's fine for an effort grade, but a lazy kid that gets 80% of the material and a hard-working kid that gets 80% of the material really should see the same number (or letter) on their report card.

So another teacher came in and we discussed this for awhile. My take is that if homework isn't graded and considered part of a student's grade, then most kids will rarely do it - and that will cause them to learn less. If I'm going to get them to learn more math, then grading homework is part of that solution. It just causes the reporting of grades to favor kids who work harder.

"Average Kids"

Okay, most of my kids aren't average. A bit more than half would be on the bottom end of the food chain.

Since I've been here at this school I've always had at least one class with kids who cared about something to do with academics whether it was education for its own sake or education because they know they have to. And these kids know π Day. They know that it is their math teacher's favorite day of the year.

Year after year here I've had kids want to have a party to celebrate. Have pie. Sing stupid songs. Someone always has π memorized to some ridiculous number of digits. I always tell the students that I can't have a party because the administration won't allow them (not true) but "if you throw a surprise party, I guess that really wouldn't be against the rules". Then I leave the room for a few minutes while the kids figure out who is bringing what and I don't have to do a thing.

Now I have the lower kids. Not one has even mentioned π-day. I find that astounding since they must have done something in middle school. You would think that they must know anyone in another class who is having a party.

Since I'm so far behind, I'm not about to tell them about it and lose another day. I guess I'm just surprised at the fact that nobody seems to even know about it. 130 kids - not one mentioned π-day even once even to get the day off from our regular curriculum.

For the rest of the department, they'll celebrate it just like we celebrate other major holidays. At least I'll get snacks all day long.

Happy π-day, everyone!

Funny Story

The teacher next door had a note on his door for four Level 1 ELL kids to go to room 22 of our school to take a state test for kids with little English. The note was there because the teacher himself was proctoring the exam and couldn't be in his own room.

Because of all the testing, myself and the teacher who uses my room for planning couldn't be in my room so we had to go elsewhere. So this other teacher and I are out in the hall discussing where we can go (our school has no workspace - our "lounge" is certainly out of the question). Two Somali kids come by and are looking at the note on the door and seem to be confused.

Colleague: "Do you need some help?"
Students: ".........." [confused and staring at the note]
Colleague: "Is your name on this list?"
Students: ".........."
Colleague: [slowly, just as quietly, and (properly) running her finger along the list] "Is your name on this list?"
Students: ".........."
Colleague: [Realizing the list is for Level 1 testing] "Go to Room 22"

Once the kids left I laughed like mad.

Seeking Advice

I have one student who doesn't live with his parents because of reasons I'm unsure of. But I do know that he lives in a foster home with 10 other kids. Some of those kids go to my school as well and they are not stellar students. Many will drop out eventually. My students shouldn't. He's usually on in class - he isn't much for openly participating, but he does pay attention to my lessons and asks appropriate questions. He's helpful to other students when they seek his help during work time. He's an A/B student, a great athlete, and all around awesome kid.

But there are days when he is off. Not disruptive in any way, but he'll put his head down and do nothing. I can tell that he's just tired. No small wonder with the "home" situation. From a coach, I heard that is is generally video game heaven all night long in the house.

So my tactic has been to say "Terrance, let's get your head up" when I see it down. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Like today - it just didn't. And I felt really bad...not for telling him to get his head up, but because of the other kids' reactions for not badgering him when his head goes back down. All I hear is "That's not fair - you keep telling me to keep my head up" and other things like that. And it is true. I know my lazy students, and I know the reason I let Terrance get away with it is because of his special situation that I can't explain to the class for obvious reasons. I've talked to him about it - he's very apologetic (and genuinely apologetic!) and I've told him my dilemma. He just tells me that he will try (which he does) but I know that he can't be on 100% of the time.

The funny thing is, students don't always see things as black and white like in Terrance's situation. Maybe because Terrance is an "average" kid. I have autistic kids that act out - the others just shake their heads. I have another kid that just walks out of the room all the time (I have to because it is in his IEP) and the kids don't bat an eye at it because "that's just him" even though I'd scream bloody murder if anyone else just left the classroom because they want to. I'm sure the other kids would give Terrance the "okay" for the occasional day off if they knew his situation, but hopefully won't happen. I know that Terrance is a little embarrassed about his home life, so he doesn't bring it up to others.

So what should I do when kids challenge me? Tell them to shut up?! Tell them to mind their own business? Tell them a lie to get them off my back? The truth is out of the question, but their concern about fairness should be addressed.