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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

If he would just keep his big mouth shut

Mac got detention for more than just saying "shit." He told the teacher he was bored in her class. Now I'm saying sh**.

Mac loves his government class and he really likes the teacher. He's been in her other classes before and usually she teaches in lecture style discussion. She changed this class up completely and Mac had hated every minute of it. he's talked with her about is and she said because the state is changing to merit pay for teachers she's trying new teaching methods. And in Mac's opinion, it's not working.

So yesterday during class she gave them all a worksheet: 14 questions and 2 that she wanted answered in paragraphs.

Mac did all 14 and then answered the other 2 in a few sentences. He then read the directions. He told her he only answered in a few sentences and why should he write a paragraph if it doesn't take that much to give the correct answer. She told him to just do it.

It was toward the end of class and she was gathering the assignment and she told him to turn it in tomorrow. He started to give he the other 14 questions and she told him no. He said he would rather have some points counted off for the incorrect answers for 2 questions and than lose all his points for the other 14. She told him to not worry about it because.... she wasn't going to grade it away.

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm. Yeah.

Mac said then why did she assign them busy work, it was a stupid waste of time when they could've been having a productive discussion and this was stupid and he was bored and why wouldn't she teach?

Ummmmmmmmmmmmm. Yeah.

I guess she proceeded to tell him that she tried to make lesson plans for everyone and she was sick of him criticizing her and she cried. And he said "this is bullshit" and walked out of the class. He said he went directly to the guidance office and told on himself. Then the guidance counselor took him to the assistant principal. He got 4 after school detentions, where he will spend 30 minutes helping clean the school.

He went and found the teacher and apologized to her, on his own, without prompting from anyone. According to him, she forgave him and SHE apologized because she has student like Mac who are at the top who want to learn, kids who are special ed. who can't do the simplest things eh has, the kids who don't care no matter what she does, and then the middle group. She said no administrators can answer who they are supposed to get high scores and good results with such a mixed class and she said she was sorry she was failing kids like him.

I'm going to start counting down the days until he leaves for college.

Maggie

4 comments:

Mellodee said...

All the points he raised were valid ones,but his method of presentation needs work! :) He sounds like a good kid, but he is still just 17, and is a work in progress. Courage!

Curley said...

He turned himself in and still got 4 days? I would think they would have given him credit for that alone.

Bragger said...

I feel for Mac, and I feel for the teacher. And THAT, my friends, is why merit pay is a bad idea.

Maggie said...

Mellodee- I told him his thoughts were strong but his people skills needed lots of work.

Curly- I think since there were so many options in which to choose to punish him he got off with a rather light sentence.

Bragger- amen to THAT!!!!!