Why I am not a deadline guy...

I hear quite often from teachers about how students just don't get their homework done. I completely agree with them. I think my homework is ridiculous - I mean, think about it, once or twice a week I ask them to do writings at home that go for a couple pages and must take quite a few of them two hours to get written. When they come back I would say that overnight homework assignments have a 50-70% completion rate. Today the over the holiday assignment is due and I believe it is pulling about a 60% completion rate. I will collect most of the leftovers tomorrow and will have to put in some serious legwork running down the last 3-4 of them over the next week.

Now, I am a monster for common ground. I completely understand and fully appreciate the views of colleagues who would argue that I make a bad problem worse. However, I also recognize the importance of getting work done. You see, students are kids, the ones I deal with are adolescents, and the nagging thing about adolescents is they are notorious for not being long term and big picture thinkers. They invariable will lack discipline on some level and have this tendency to do things that are contrary to their own self-interest. They have some growing up to do... literally! I guess I am just a believer that they will make mistakes and have to. Now, is that an excuse to not do work? NO! What I mean is that they will take zeros to avoid work. My system at least results in EVERYONE having to do the work. Is it flawed? Yes.

Why else Mr. Warner?

How about this one... 42.8% of our students qualify for free/reduced lunch. That means a strikingly high number of students are living in some form of poverty. If I were to list traits of people in poverty it would once again point to the tendency to not get work done when there are other forms of instant gratification available. As my father says, "It shows a lack of self-discipline." He is right. I need to work in their game because what we are doing is important. They need to do the work I assign because it is important... what is the alternative? Not doing it at all? Okay, then I give you a bad grade and you still don’t get it done. You perform worse on the exam, don't build any skills and perform worse on state testing... Clearly a recipe for success! How about your teacher chases you down and you do the work and yeah, it’s late, BUT it requires you to think critically, problem solve and learn. Now the exam comes and you do a little better.

I look at teaching like throwing a ladder down so someone can climb a tree. The ladder doesn’t start from the ground, you need to start from the top and work to the student. I build my goals first and then design my exam for the unit first. What goes on the test is what I want to be able to guarantee my students know. Then, I build assignments that fit the skills and knowledge necessary to pass the exam. Following this, lessons come out- the purpose of each lesson is to ensure students possess skills and knowledge to accomplish the assignments, which tier them to success on the exam. Am I teaching to my test? YES! I should be because the test matches my big ideas, state standards and my unit goals.

So… Is my class easy? I hope so… If you put in the legwork by doing the work right and doing it well, then you should learn. That is, if I am qualified to do my job… and I certainly hope I am.