My Son Didn't Grow Up To Be A Serial Killer

When my children were little, I tried to be one of those parents that did everything right.  (Son and daughter can now comment and tell me what a crappy parent I was and still am.) I  It was especially important to keep them away from toy guns as I didn't want them exposed to any sort of violence.

I soon learned this was impossible to do.  As I waited for my two-year old's pre-school teacher to arrive, I watched little boys remove their bananas from their lunch and pick up pieces of string and pretend to shoot one another.  At that point, I decided he might as well have the real thing like his best friend on the block had.  (This boy came from a wonderful intact family with no history of violence or criminal behavior.)  The toy pistol had no detrimental effect on his development or on the development of the boy on the corner (or any of his older siblings who I assume also grew up playing with guns.) I proudly say that all these young people lead exemplary lives.  They have never robbed or killed anyone.

I just heard about parents in Queens who are upset about their 5-year old daughter having a homework sheet containing the words GUN and ROB.  They feel it is inappropriate to teach little children such violent words and they are afraid these words will teach their daughter that these behaviors are acceptable.  I have to wonder what is wrong with parents like this?  If their child will be corrupted by these three letter words, I wonder what they are teaching this little girl at home?  And, to have a teacher apologize for using them?  How ridiculous!  These are words kids here every day.  The teacher didn't tell the children to take the gun and rob the convenience store.  She told them to practice writing. 

So now, because of these two parents who chose to make a big deal about nothing, this teacher will have all her work monitored by her supervisor.  These parents are lucky that a couple of words are the only thing to get them upset.

Memo_015 In Its Entirety



There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Twilight Zone.

—Rod Serling

Entering the Twilight Zone of Packemin H.S. Math Department

For the students who only showed up for one part of the final exam, please prorate the part of the final they took and calculate the average if you wish to pass them, but leave the exam field blank. But if a student gets 38 out of 40 on Part II and their average is below 90, I would not count the final at all.

Nice, huh?  You can count the good grade for a 90 student but not for a student who hasn't done so well in the past and now has studied like a dog to make the grade.

 No student who failed the final exam in my class had a passing average because the grade we give is a performance indicator. 

Wow, isn't he wonderful.  I don't even know why he bothers to make his students take the final since he has magic powers to know who is passing before hand.

In some extreme cases, the only exam a student was able to pass was the final exam.

This is what happens when the same exam is given all day long--kids get the questions and answers in advance.  And, what message does it send the kid who studied his behind off and still fails the class?

 If a student’s average is in the low 60’s and the student has passed some exams during the term, s/he can be given a grade of 65 provided their final exam grade is at least 65. For students with a passing average who failed the final exam with grades higher than 57, you can give a grade of 65.  For students whose final grades are below 57, a grade of 55 should be given.

A child who scored a 57 is so much more prepared and knows so much more than the one who scored a 55 or a 56.  That 57 is such a meaningful number.

If a student is absent more than 15 times and you wish to issue a passing grade, please make sure you speak to me first. Such students certainly did not participate in class while they were out. The question you should ask yourself is –“if a student is absent so many times and the student is doing ‘satisfactory’ work, what have I taught in that class?”

There are kids that can pass, even when out.  We have all seen it. 

You have to decide on the 55 or 65 based on how much harder they will work when they see the grade. After all, you know your students.

Some teachers might actually have brains. Besides,  grades should be uniform and not based on what you think your students will do.

Once again, I would like to thank all the grade leaders for the work they did on the uniform exams. There are some issues with a few exams - not indicating clearly our expectations on how to solve a problem, easy problems and errors on the exams. Directions should always include “show all work whenever possible to receive credits.” I will check next time.

I can't believe Mr. Micro Manager actually missed something. 


And printed in its entirety so anyone wishing can view this memo without commentary:

January 23, 2012


I would like to wish everyone a happy lunar New Year to those who celebrate.


Once again, I would like to thank all the grade leaders for the work they did on the uniform exams. There are some issues with a few exams - not indicating clearly our expectations on how to solve a problem, easy problems and errors on the exams. Directions should always include “show all work whenever possible to receive credits.” I will check next time.


I would like to remind everyone of the following when giving grades for this marking period in the required courses (for graduation). If you are teaching an elective, please speak to me directly if you have any issues.





Thank you very much.


Memo_015

More From Memo 121



I have asked many times but I have not seen the exams of some teachers.  Please make sure I see your exams before you give it to your students.  We have talked about not putting 40 points of worth of long problems where students could receive partial credits.  I saw at least two exams with that.  Please make sure the part II/III of your exam contains no more than 32 points worth of questions so that we are on the same grade scale.

Teachers are supposed to do item analysis after every exam to see which questions students are still struggling with.  It is so much better to actually see the work they did.  This way, their strengths and deficiencies are obvious.  Marking a  geometry exam, for example, an incorrect multiple choice response will not show whether the problem was conceptual or algebraic and will do nothing to help the teacher correct the mistake.

The bottom line is that knowledge doesn't count, only exam grades.  The kids have got to get those 80's or the school will not look good.

(There is something inherently wrong with having to show your supervisor every exam you give. Teachers are professionals and should be treated as such.  Just because an exam is typed, or neatly done as a cut and paste job does not mean it is a good exam.  The math department has over 30 teachers.  Mr. AP will not be able to go over every example on every teacher's exam to make sure the questions are good ones and some of the tests he will be passing off on will be barely satisfactory or unsatisfactory, so what is the point?)

No Workshop Model For This Guy

The guy who wrote this would like to hear what teachers think. He would appreciate a comment even if you don't agree.

Let Teachers Teach

New Memo

I don't know why these notes bother me. I know he is not talking about me. I'm lucky. He leaves me alone.

In my brief stops recently, I have seen some good lessons. However, the following scenarios really concerned me:

1. Some review sheets were titled "Chapter Test Review." Please stop giving chapter or unit exams. It is the major reason why your students do not perform on the final exam.

Mr. AP came into my room today as I was giving one of these tests. He looked at it, said it was good and walked out. The teacher he is referring to gave out a review sheet on the unit but her test was spiraled. I know, I saw it.

Two and four are quite contradictory:

2. Please show them [students] at least one example befre you ask your students to try [it]. (Sounds like Chalk and Talk to
me!!!!!

4. Showing or telling students how to solve a math problem does not help them in their effort to learn.

If I was new, or one of the older teachers under attack, I would not know what to do. How he can contradict himself in one memo is unbelievable.

Number 3 deals with his micro management issues.

3. Please take attendance in the beginning of the period instead of a few minutes into the period. If you do that, you will probably have many students walking in late.

A teacher should be able to decide the best time to take attendance. I admit that I am a bad attendance taker. But, my students know how I feel about their lateness. Marking it down at any one minute does nothing to change their actions. Teachers need to be the decision makers in their classrooms.

He also mentioned that grade leaders should begin working on the final and that we should communicate with the teachers teaching the same course. Unfortunately, in a school the size of mine, I never see others teaching the same course. It would be nice if we could have some common planning time in our C-6 periods. But, this will never happen.

I don't know why all these things bother me. He leaves me alone. He never comes to the trailer and when he does, he stays a few minutes and leaves. I hate his double standards. I hate his making the lives of some of my colleagues a living hell. I hate the fact that he is really a miserable teacher who has no business telling others how to teach. I hate his trying to control every detail of our lives and I hate the fact that there are some people that will never be able to do anything that pleases him.

As far as grades are concerned he wants to:
See our test grades before we make up grades. Some say we should just let him make up the grades himself.

If he didn't like the grades, he would want to see our tests. Some say he should make up the tests himself.

If he made up the tests himself, he would claim we did not teach the material. Some say he should supply all our lessons.

If he supplied all our lessons, he would claim that we did not teach the material correctly. We cannot win.

Another Memo

Most math teachers have raised their expectations, yet, a few still have very low expectations. We must all work together and use the same standards to help our students reach high. If you constantly ask your students to quiet down or follow rules, it is a sign that your expectations are way to low.

We are all trying to figure out what the above paragraph means. It was in a note from my supervisor, one of his many notes intending to micro manage everything we do. In the same memo he mentioned a teacher who was doing the unforgivable "chalk and talk." That teacher actually demonstrated the way to solve a problem. Maybe it is a good thing that he micro manages. We can't have teachers going around and teaching. The memo also contained the expression "check your students TEMP". If I use a rectal thermometer I will end up in the rubber room. Maybe he will supply us with some of those new ear models. There was one teacher whose lesson did not match the aim. This is totally irresponsible. How dare this teacher deviate from a plan? What right did this teacher have to try to adjust her lesson to her students immediate needs? Thankfully only one teacher did this and it was only in one lesson.

Please do not ask your students to "stop talking" or "even sit down" when they approach you to ask a question. Please try to find out what they want and help them!"

I don't know too many teachers that will not help a student. Kids have a way of asking questions at inopportune times. If we allowed them to interrupt class all the time he would tell us to raise our expectations. With him, it is impossible to win. When a teacher, student or child goes to him for help, we are usually met with the response "I am not your maid. I will not drop everything to wait on you." What is good for the goose is not good for the gander in this case.

Teaching is hard. Administrators like this make it harder all the time. This week I tried to raise my expectations for one of my students. I went to my AP to try to get her permission to double up and take Math B and pre-calculus together. She had done extremely well when she was in my class and in a friend's class in the past. (My friend and I have over 50 years teaching experience together.) He looked at her record and told me that she could not double up. Although she had received grades in the high 90's from both of us, two other teachers gave her grades in the 75 - 80 range. (The other teachers have a combined experience of 5 years.) I really don't want to stop teaching but it is getting so hard to deal with these injustices all the time. My protests fall on deaf ears. I'm labeled a whiner and a complainer (and a rambler, since I know I am rambling on in this post.) Now I am too easy. I feel the fight leaving me. I know how a wild horse must feel when it is finally broken.