I'm So Confused

I know, anyone reading this is saying "NOT AGAIN!" I can't help it. I'm compulsive. I want to do what is best for my geometry kids and I don't know what the right thing to do is.

Originally we were told that the kids were staying in geometry the entire year, no matter how poorly they were doing. I took this to mean, I better convince them that they can pass. Of course, many can't but I've put on my cheer leading outfit, broken out my best cheers and I am pushing them on. I'm pushing them to at least get a 50 and I'm promising to change the grade to passing if they manage to pass next semester. You still can't hear a pin drop, but most are starting to work. Even some of the real airheads are starting to get it. I made sure I did and redid every problem on the first part of the midterm so many times that they would be able to do it on the exam. They saw that I wasn't feeding them a line of BS and that if they listened they can pass. Maybe, like the Obama supporters out there, they are starting to BELIEVE.

So, what is the problem with all of this? We were just told that the kids who are failing (below 50) can be placed in a different class next term where they will concentrate on the algebraic skills we tried to tell Suit last year they lacked. My dilemma is do I give them a grade under 50 and move them into an easier class or do I keep plugging away, pray the regents will be easy and have a low cut off score to pass, and just try to teach them enough math to pass the course as it is. (They do not need this regents to graduate.) I want to know if they will learn more with me in geometry or more in another classroom, repeating algebra. So many of the kids that are put back end up in a cycle of repeating class after class after class. The things that they don't know now have been taught to them a zillion times and they might never learn them.

I hate being in a position where I am playing G-d with their lives. This one little decision on my part can be a make or break decision for the rest of their lives. What gives me the right to decide who goes on and who does not? Maybe if I did things differently more would be passing. I wanted to be able to give them an easier course but now that I have that option I don't know if I should take it. I'm so confused! Is there any help for me? I need a vacation.

Different Day, Same Issues

Ednotes posed a question from a math teacher. Another teacher, Saddleshoe, Although I commented there, I had to vent here as well. If we don't do something soon there will be no hope for future generations.

(Pictures from an earlier post)

No matter what I do, half the kids in my geometry class are clueless. I'm not talking about the kids that do nothing, I'm talking about the kids that try.

I decided to take the suggestion of an administrator and talk to the kids about their problems. One of the kids I work with a lot just showed me his PSAT scores. He only scored 34% in the critical reading category. If the child can't read and pick out details, he can't put clues together to solve a geometry proof. Figuring out whether he has consecutive angles or opposite angles in a parallelogram is beyond his scope of understanding. They know that the distance formula is used to show line segments are congruent, they repeat this over and over. They know that a triangle is isosceles if two sides are equal. On exams, they use the slope formula to do proofs involving these concepts. Another kid showed me his math score which was 29%. How can this kid be expected to learn geometry either?

The administrator suggested I talk to other teachers and see if they are having the same problems. I asked Mr. P how his class was doing. He said "Fine". I asked, "Approximately what percent of your class is passing?" He answered, "I have no idea. I don't look at those things." I did hear him and another teacher agonizing as they marked the first part of the midterms about the same mistakes my students make.

One boy told me it would have been better if he had paid attention in the beginning of the term. While that would have made a tremendous difference, it still would not have compensated for his inability to solve word problems. I am at a loss as to how to reteach him all the things he might have learned if he had paid attention.

The DOE is running a big campaign, Keep It Moving NYC Schools, touting the success of our schools under the reign of Klein and Bloomberg. Why aren't there any real reporters out there showing what is really going on in math education today?

My Hopes Are Alive Again

I decided not to teach proofs anymore. I know, I am selling out. But, I want them to pass. The proofs are just too abstract for them to grasp. I believe they will be able to pass the regents by doing the other problems and they are so weak, I have to concentrate on what I think they might be able to do.

I started parallelograms a few days ago. Just getting them to remember the basic properties is a chore. Then, they remember the properties but have no clue as to how to use them, even after we write a sentence like "OPPOSITE SIDES OF A PARALLELOGRAM ARE CONGRUENT", they still add two sides and set them equal to 180 degrees.

Today, I decided to move ahead. I picked a bunch of problems that required them to do the dirty word, "THINK." I got the shock of my life. They thought! They got excited when they found answers. They argued about different ways of approaching the problems. They got them right. I was so happy I danced around the room. They laughed at me, which is fine.

I know my dreams of their success will probably be shattered tomorrow, but at least for today, we made some progress.

I Have Hope

I saw a sample of what the new geometry regents will look like.

I have hope.

I think I can get most of them to pass.

It will take a lot of work and a lot of revision in what I teach, but I BELIEVE I can do it!

MY KIDS WILL PASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!