The Wakeup Call

I HATE homecoming! Don’t get me wrong, I think school spirit is important but I think it sometimes gets in the way of teaching and that is a problem. I run into this especially with my high school students. The fact that I end up with students from two to five area high schools does not make it any easier as each school has homecoming at a different time.

This semester I only have students from two local schools. One of these schools has the majority of students and the entire group came in very loud, rowdy and energetic. This can be a rough group (although good kids) but today they were just over the top.

In addition, due to a rally, the students told me they needed to leave half an hour early. I hate when this happens for sports and I hate it even more when it happens for homecoming. I let the students know they are still responsible for the work and they will not got credit for being there the whole time but it did not seem to matter.

I was forceful in explaining that even if I don’t get to cover certain material in the book, or they are not there to hear it, when it comes to giving speeches, I expect them to incorporate all of the information. That seemed to take them back a little but it did not stop the nonsense. Perhaps that will happen shortly.

I have decided, and this may be a little unfair on my part, when it comes to the first speech, I will end up lowering everyone’s grade by half a letter (the lowered grade will be the only one they see). Since Public Speaking is subjective anyway, I don’t think I will have a problem doing it. I think that will bother a number of students but I think it will also get their attention.

Come the end of the semester, I may raise everyone’s grade to what it normally would be but I really think these folks need a wakeup call and I am perfectly willing to give it to them.