Trying Doesn't Cut It For This Girl

What do you say to a student who sits in a remedial college class night after night, moaning that the work is too hard.

The girl tries but can't do more than copy the material from the board.  She is allowed to use a calculator but I have to remind her constantly to use it.

She sends me e-mails all the time about the class, letting me know she cares but she can't write a coherent sentence and I very often can't even understand what she is writing about.

She reminds me of the non-diploma bound special education kids I knew at Packemin.  Her IQ can't be much higher.  I wonder why she is sitting in a college class, wasting money and her time, frustrating the hell out of her.

The high school she went to probably encouraged her to attend college.  They probably got points added on to their evaluations because she has gone on to higher education.  Instead of points, they should be fined and punished for letting this girl believe she can have a future that involves academics.

No Insult Intended



I didn't intend to insult young teachers with this post and humbly apologize to those who took it the wrong way.  I know there are many fine, hard working good young people out there and my problem is not with them but with the way they have been put on pedestals and are being lauded as the best thing that ever happened to education.  My problem is with the way older teachers are being treated by the system.

A young teacher was offended by the post and pointed out that many of the new teachers work 10 - 12 hour days perfecting lessons and helping students.  When I first started I got lots of help from the senior teachers in my department.  I was even given lesson plans to use and although I worked hard, I didn't need to put in those kinds of hours.  This young teacher won't have those experienced teachers to get help from.  And, like I said, they won't be appreciated for the work they do.  They will be replaced as easily as I was.