To encourage my students to buy the $3.00 regents book, I give a 10-point quiz from it every day. I told them when we have 10 tests I will add up the points and count it as a test. Most of the kids like the idea and have been responsive. To get them interested, I started with the easiest questions. If the kids don't have a book, they can't take the quiz. Friday, I watched a kid trying to hand in a paper without opening his book. When I confronted him, he didn't say much. I then said "In the past, you must have had some pretty stupid teachers if you got away with a trick like that." He looked at me and said, "You're right, I did. This stuff always worked in the past." I told him, "I've either done or seen every trick you can come up with. Better start working now." He just looked down and started drawing pictures on the paper. Maybe he still won't learn any math, but at least he learned that he can't always get over.
4 comments:
Teaching kids that they can't "get away with it" is the best of all life's lessons.
Yeah, for sure, what we need is more teachers like that -- catching kids in the act of trying to escape the insulting, mind-numbing testing regime. Way to go, prison guard! You might make warden yet!
Gee, 10th grade must have been a nightmare for you, anon!!
I am thankful for the mind-numbing testing regime that I had as a high school student. It taught me delay of gratification, objective standards, and self-discpline.
Thank you, wardens.
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