I have made some important discoveries since student teaching. I remember the day before midterm grades were due, I stayed until about 6 letting a couple of kids try to make up work to pass. Vandett's reaction amounted to a mildly exasperated, "Aw, isn't that sweet! She thinks it's going to do some good!"
I drove Vandett crazy, but I think she really did find it touching when one little badass (Stacey, I will never forget you--it is for you I learned the meaning of CYA) just wouldn't do. I believe Vandett's exact words, after I broke down in front of my evaluator on planning were, "Poor thing! She wants to save the world."
I have been tempted even now to call up a few of my kiddos and make them come in and fix some hole in my gradebook that could be the difference between their passing and failing. As a matter of fact, I did e-mail one who left a huge hole in her line on the gradebook. That was an extreme case, though. For the others, I have made the profound discovery that--get this--
it doesn't matter.
I now see why my esteemed cooperating teacher just made sure that her grades were in the right spot, not that she had graded every tiny thing or that she had squeezed every bit of homework out of every individual that she could.
It just doesn't matter.
As I entered the 11th quiz grade for my Spanish classes, I realized that very few even budged a percentage point. Their achievement level had basically been determined by Quiz 10. Valuable information.
As I toyed with the notion of gifting assignment points here and there or adding additional columns for the work that I had only sworn to "take up," and not to grade, I realized that in the end, the kids who failed this 9 weeks in English still hadn't done well enough on the final to pass the course. So why bother?
An even more profound realization is that those sitting on the border, for whom I considered so much tinkering, really don't deserve it. They either didn't do the work or didn't do it well enough that they should be at a level any higher than where they were when I first assigned them seats. Or at least at midterm. They simply haven't earned it.
There are those among my co-workers who are of the get-them-out-of-my-hair philosophy. Typically, these co-workers have test scores they don't need being continually screwed up by screw-ups. I can't say I really blame them.
But in the meantime, I know I have at least 2 kiddos who are looking forward to repeating Spanish I with me as soon as possible and at least 1 who came out of English II Honors having learned something that will help her succeed next time.
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