Personal Accountability

[Mr. H]

Am I missing something or do most students completely lacking in the area of personal accountability? I am tired of seeing students who come to class without their books, notebooks and/or writing utensil of choice. I am saddened that many students don't come to class with assignments completed or have only completed an assignment aiming for the least amount of points they can 'earn' without failing. Where on EARTH did they acquire this attitude of "I-don't-give-a-sh*t"?? How did they get to be so LAZY?! Have we, as educators, lowered the bar so much as to permit this behavior?

[Mr. H]

What is with this Helicopter Parenting? There was this perspective student teacher in my program when I was getting credentialed whose FATHER called in to try and see if he couldn't sign a note or something because his little princess hadn't completed some paperwork for the application to the school by the deadline THAT HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY BEEN EXTENDED. I just have no patience for it. I can understand if a student is mentally deficient and can't take care of themselves because of some physical or emotional imbalance but the majority of students don't fall under these categories! I'm tired of the cop-outs. "my little angel has AD/HD, so he should be able to slack off in your class and still be able to play on the schools ball team." WHAT??!! Since when is THIS whole idea even appropriate and how does it maintain the best interest of the student??!! I am convinced that AD/HD is something that we ALL have to some varying degree. I know I had it and I didn't have any special allowances and my parents and teachers held me accountable for everything that everyone else was doing. SO WTF?

[Chocolate_New_Orleans]

careful, your Chocolate_new_orleans is showing

and unfortunately, you are right on the money with your observations.

I don't give averages out until after they are set (for progress reports or report cards) I will, however, tell them what they are missing. When I tell them what they are missing and they ask what their current grade is, that is a round about way for them to try and figure out the minimum they need to do to 'not fail'

By me not telling them, they are forced into doing all of it.

[BLBO]

Originally Posted by Chocolate_New_Orleans

I don't give averages out until after they are set (for progress reports or report cards)

Do you let your students know their scores on individual assignments, quizzes, and tests?

[Chocolate_New_Orleans]

I give every test back to them. They could figure it out for themselves, but they don't. About 2 weeks before grades are due, I go down the roll, and say

Steve Andrews, you are missing HW# 1, 4, 6
Ben Benjamin, you are missing HW# 2
Cathy Cathington, you are all caught up.


My point in why I won't tell them what their grade is after what they are missing, because Andrews will turn in HW#1 and say, "what's that bring me up to" which means, "If I have a good enough grade, I won't do #4 and #6"

if they then say, "How do I know how I'm doing", I tell them, I tell you what you need to do your best, not what you need to do to skim by."

It is very understandable why you are upset over this, but you should not dwell on it. Start with a new policy saying that if you don't have your book (or whatever) you may go get it, but your preparation/behavior/participation grade will go down. This can also go down if homework is not handed in on time, etc. I personally do not accept late homework (small assignments) other larger assignments have 20% deduction each day up to two days only, then it is a zero. If you don't like to do this, then just go to town on the preparation/behvior/participation grade at the end of each day, week, month, quarter, or whatever works for you and your class.

[Mrs. P.]

On the first day of class, I go over ALL of the classroom rules and my own
personal expectations of ALL of my students. I make it VERY clear that it
is NOT open for discussion nor will it be changed.

Despite my "rules" etc., my students respect me and actually like me.
They know they can count on me to help them in any way I can. I
have actually tutored them in subjects they are not taking with me.

:

[Nyxan]

I teach 8th grade, kids who hate to be held accountable for anything. Last year, about 3/4 of the way through the year I was just as disgusted by the lack of attention to preparedness. I teach English and writing. The number of students who did not have a pencil was absolutely shocking!

I instituted a new policy. Each day I assigned 5 points as a class preparation grade. I would deduct 2 points for a missing pencil or book. If the studnet had to go back to their locker for their homework or a worksheet, I would also deduct points. Within a week the lack of preparation ended. I still had one or two chronic offenders, but everyone got it through their adorable little heads that I meant it when I told the students they needed to be ready for class.

Ultimately, the students started turning each other in for violations. I liked the change and will start the year with this process next year.

For those of you concerned that it takes a lot of paperwork, it doesn't. In my seating chart I keep track of which students are absent. In the student's column I just write a "p" if they didn't bring a pencil, "b" for a missing book, or "ws" for a missing worksheet. I just add those up at the end of each marking period. It is as large as a test grade (I grade using total points.) and the students really see an impact, either good or bad, to their average.

Best of Luck,
Ilka

[blueyes]

i tend to do the same thing - i teach Middle School and 10th grade English - yup, i know what your thinking - it can be done - it's tricky - anyway -

i will let them know like you said about 2 weeks before what they are missing - i will not give them thier grade - they get thier tests, homeworks, projects, etc. back - they can use a calculator and figure it out themselves - i have other things to do -

i work in a private boarding school, and we do monthly grades - and i will not tell them what they got for the month. they will get thier report card, people work hard to do the work, they can wait a day or two - because if i give it to them they lawyer, and manipulate for something better.

also - as someone else mentioned - i also take points off for not being prepared for class, be it homework, books, pen, etc. i don't always let them go to thier locker - sometimes that can be an all day affair -

just my 2 cents!

Originally Posted by Chocolate_New_Orleans

I give every test back to them. They could figure it out for themselves, but they don't. About 2 weeks before grades are due, I go down the roll, and say

Steve Andrews, you are missing HW# 1, 4, 6
Ben Benjamin, you are missing HW# 2
Cathy Cathington, you are all caught up.


My point in why I won't tell them what their grade is after what they are missing, because Andrews will turn in HW#1 and say, "what's that bring me up to" which means, "If I have a good enough grade, I won't do #4 and #6"

if they then say, "How do I know how I'm doing", I tell them, I tell you what you need to do your best, not what you need to do to skim by."

[Mr. H]

I start every unit out with my expectations... My complaint is that regardless of what we tell them, every year they seem to do less and less of what is expected. I have A students who settle for B's because they are too lazy to work. It's more a question of sociology, I guess. I can try to motivate them until I'm blue in the face, but in the end, THEY need to be the ones trying harder and putting forth an effort in lieu of ME fighting for them to achieve their potentials.