... and turn this into something maybe related, but perhaps not. It feels somewhat connected, albeit tangentially. We are talking about culturally responsive teaching and challenge based classrooms. Love it. I wanted to share something I wrote to my students last week as a response to what I am seeing in class. Zero energy. Kids unwilling to talk. To anyone. Most don’t speak to one another. They are zombies— and I am scared. Work is not getting turned in. Kids have lost hope. I wrote this, and would like to know if I am focused on the right things, or if I need to focus differently.
Put another way, I wonder if the pit is not adacemic in the least— and to be responsive would be to address the social and motivational pit that clearly is in front of our students. In looking at the MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) assessment in Unit 2, only 55% of students have completed this task. This is not acceptable and I think you would agree. To be clear, you have not had an overbearing asynchronous workload. This weekend I am asking you to complete this task in AP Classroom. Philosophically, what I am looking for right now is our best. We are in a pandemic-- and with equity and common sense in mind I want to be supportive. I want to be flexible. For you. Because our organization is about people first. But I suspect that our full 45% of missing work is not pandemic related. I am guessing some forgot. I am guessing some didn't do it for other reasons. I am guessing some chose not to. And I believe some couldn't do it for some reason or another. And I am also guessing that at least an equivalent number of students did not do their AP Daily work w/notes, either. Moving forward, I would like for you to communicate with me if you are having issues completing work. But I also would like to uphold the expectation that, in an AP class (we are in an advanced class, after all) we can complete our work-- especially when the workload is as reasonable as this has been. One final reminder: this class is not about your grade, either. It is about your development. YOUR learning. Learning in this environment is tricky, but made even more tricky when work is not done at home that should be completed. And yes, the entire world of juniors and seniors are not getting a ton done either. Globally, education is suffering in various ways. That is true. But when you enter college and the workforce you will not be measured laterally against those the same age as you. You will be measured vertically, against others that have put in the time and the effort to better themselves that are of different ages. It is them that you will compete with in the job market and for positions of leadership in a world desperate for growth and clarity. Remember that there is not some other amazing group of students ready to take on the world, that will be set to deploy and create and fix all of the ills that befall us. Because we all know we have problems. Never in recent memory has that been more evident. That other group of future saviors does not exist. That group is, in fact, you. You are that group. You are the future leaders and change-makers that will be built from a time of global challenge. And I take the role of helping you be the best you can be-- with a mixture of academics and compassion-- very seriously. I expect none of us to be perfect. I certainly am not. But I do expect that we ALL try to better ourselves-- and to trust that the work we do matters. This class is about real-life English. And whether expressed in essay form, discussion, thesis statement development activities, or multiple choice rhetorical passages, it all helps shape the thinker and rhetorician that is the current and future you. I believe in you. I believe in the power of a determined mind to better itself. It is WHY I do this work. And it is why I need to make sure we stay focused as much as is possible right now. Things are really difficult. The world changes daily. Hope comes and goes-- though we know things will improve someday soon. But that doesn't mean we cannot sink ourselves into our own growth and development and make a better version of ourselves at this time. Please take care of any missing work. Please make sure your notes from AP classroom are updated and reflect all videos assigned. And please realize that while grades and percentages might be overrated, your growth is certainly not. It's not a game. It's your last few academic steps to take before you face this world yourself. This is all sent with love and respect. Message me if you have any questions.
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AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2020
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