It is the end of the semester. Just one more class of exams to go. It is nice to get a fresh start in the middle of the year, but at the same time, with such great students this semester, I fear what I will get next. I already received an email for a students that will be on homebound instruction until Feb. 1. I won't know why, but that is always an inauspicious start, not just for me, but for the student. I can not base any of my homebound lessons on the internet because the student does not have internet access. I have already read between the lines.
Third period exam was today. Honors World History. It was weird but I am not going to teach this group of students again. This is the first time I have felt this way about a semester-long class. I am not sure we are doing the students any good by using the block schedule. Compared to the 6 period traditional schedule, we have lost 30 hours of instruction and we do not get to know the students as people. We are forced to teach a curriculum, not students.
Second semester begins Tuesday. I am looking forward to the new start, I hope to get farther into the World History curriculum than before now that I have only one honors class. But it is the two Civics and Economics classes that worry me. It is this subject that high stakes testing takes place. I have had a look at the rosters and the students previous grades, many have not passed World History (the 9th grade supposed prerequisite). In fact, some have failed it a couple of times so guidance feels that they should try something else instead. I will do my best, but I am worried that my best will not be good enough for students who are dealing with much more than grades and homework. This will translate to more work for me. I am anticipating many absences from class, many missing assignments and many make-ups. Which become very tedious to keep up with after a while. And the first time I forget something, it is automatically my fault even though it is the student's fault for not keeping up in the first place.
To top it off, my tenure as class advisor expires this year, which means that several events are upcoming that will curtail my time. Winterfest is next month, Senior Assembly is in June, and Graduation. I hear the preparation for Winterfest is going well. My coadvisors have taken on this task and have left nothing for me. In general, I am glad that I have less to do, but on the other hand, and more importantly, I do feel as though I am not helping in a job that is rightfully mine as well. In fact, I have the suspicion that they are planninig to take this task entirely, without me, and leave one of the other tasks entirely to me as a sort of tit-for-tat, I did this you do that kind of thing. I hope not because I have not chosen to step out of the Winterfest preparation, as much as I feel boxed out by them.
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